When They Were Soulmates
by AnimeFanGirl2223
Summary: Sometimes, two people can be born with half of the same soul. When these two individuals share an important similar experience, this connection appears as a mark on their skin. Unfortunately, Izuku worries that he isn't good enough and Todoroki hates the idea of soulmates. What will happen when they realize they are bound to each other? TodoDeku, angsty-fluffy-ness!
1. Chapter 1

**I'm jumping on the Soulmate AU train… I just can't help it. So, here it is! The soulmate fanfic that no one probably wants to read!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia**

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When They Were Soulmates

Chapter 1

When Izuku was four, his quirk didn't manifest like his best friend Bakugo's, and so many others did. In fact, he was told it never would since he was just a speck in the twenty percent of the world that was unfortunate enough to be born 'quirkless'.

He remembered asking his mom if he could still be a hero, and her crying into his hair as she simply said: "I'm sorry, Izuku". Over and over those words played in his head, but he never gave up hope that a miracle would happen someday.

* * *

When Izuku was five, something did appear, but it wasn't the quirk he'd hoped for. It was a painful mark on his left ribcage that had caused him to scream for several hours afterward. His mother did her best to quell her son's pain and fear as she soothed him. Inko cried into his messy locks again, but this time, she'd said: "It's a gift, Izuku". From then on, he wondered what she meant.

When he'd finally calmed down, and the burning had stopped, he examined the area in a mirror. Etched onto his skin was a black heart with a crack running straight down the center. To him, it looked like one of the tattoos he'd seen on bad guys, and at first, wondered how a gift could be something like that. So, he said so to his mother, who simply smiled and said she'd explain when he was older.

But, his mother couldn't wait as long as she'd hoped. Almost every day, Izuku would start to cry when the mark burned, sending waves of pain through his little torso. She'd hold him quietly, and rock him back and forth, telling him it was all going to be okay.

* * *

When Izuku was six, Inko had enough and sat him down after a particularly long crying session. "My poor baby, does it still hurt?"

Midoriya shook his head, sniffing. "No, but why does it keep burning like that? You said it was special, that it was a good thing, but it keeps h-hurting me!"

"Oh, Izuku… that's a soul mark you have, and it is very special. Soul marks are even rarer than not having a quirk, but they are so much more fulfilling. Somewhere out there, maybe even right now, someone else has the exact same heart as you, in the exact same place. They're meant to be your soulmate, and you two are part of the same soul." Inko explained gently.

The little boy lifted his head some, his eyes sparkling with awe and happiness despite the dull ache in his side. "You mean, someone will like me even though I'm quirkless?" he asked hopefully.

Inko bit her lip slightly, she knew that it was unlikely for soulmates to dislike each other, but the world had changed after quirks became more common. It was still possible for her son's mate to look down on him because of his condition. Still, her heart broke to see her baby so dejected all the time, especially when he was going through so much pain from the mark alone. "That's right, honey…"

"But, then why does it burn all the time?" he asked, his small fingers running over the black mark hesitantly. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"Oh! My dear little Izuku… This is why I wanted to wait until you were older… No, you're not doing anything wrong. Those marks connect you to your other half, and when they're in pain, or scared, or upset you feel it too."

"What about good feelings? Can my soulmate feel that too?" he asked.

Inko pet his hair and nodded, "so try to stay happy okay? Let your other half know things will be okay..."

Midoriya felt tears pool in his eyes. He hated the idea of someone out there hurting like this so consistently; it didn't seem fair. Then he realized how often he got picked on at school and wondered if his soulmate had felt that as well, guilt starting to pool in his stomach. He vowed that he'd find this person eventually, and never let anything upset them ever again.

* * *

When Izuku was ten, the only other person he knew to have gotten a soulmate was Bakugo, and the blonde had made sure to rub that in his face. Of course, he hadn't told anyone about his own, fearing what they might say.

When he got home that day, he asked his mother why Kacchan got a mark so much later than he had, and her face saddened once more.

"Something has to happen for two halves of a soul to connect in our world, and that connection is what determines the mark you receive. Do you remember how heartbroken you were when the doctor said you wouldn't ever develop a quirk?"

Midoriya nodded, clutching his side again. "So, I put my mark on him before he gave me mine? We both had our hearts broken and that's why it looks like that?"

Ino nodded and returned to folding clothes. "But, even if it wasn't something wonderful that connected you two, it's something that you can share with your soulmate." She encouraged, lifting his spirits slightly.

Izuku went off to his room and stared at the blackened skin in the mirror, tracing the small white crack with his finger. He wondered if they could fix each other, and if they did, would make the heart whole again?

* * *

When Izuku was fourteen, he had his heart crushed again, this time by his idle, All Might. "Damnit… don't cry…" he whispered to himself, "your soulmate will hurt longer if you don't just get over it."

Between Kacchan telling him to jump off a roof and All Might telling him to pursue a different dream, he wondered how badly he was hurting his other half, but he couldn't help it. After years of being told how useless he was, a small, dark seed had begun to grow in his mind.

'What if I never find them…What if I do and mom was wrong and they won't want a quirkless deku like me?'

He shook his head to try and clear it of such depressing thoughts, realizing he'd walked to where another battle was raging. "Did I come here subconsciously?" he mumbled, telling himself he should probably just leave until he realized who was stuck in the slime monster, and he began running towards it.

* * *

When Izuku was fifteen, he nervously performed the tests Mr. Aizawa had forced them to do, determined to not let anything else get him down from then on. He had an amazing quirk, his idle as his mentor, and one day, he'd find his soulmate and never let them hurt again.

His eyes scanned the class after Mr. Aizawa had released them from their quirk assessments, breathing easier now that he knew he wouldn't be expelled on his first day. He wondered if any of these students were secretly his soulmate, but doubted it, he was still a teenager after all.

As Midoriya turned and headed away with the rest of the boys to change back into their regular clothes, however, he felt an odd sensation, like someone was looking at him. Sure enough, when he peered around, mismatched eyes were glaring at him coldly, their sharp gaze basically saying that he wasn't meant to be there anymore as someone who'd finished in last place.

Izuku squeaked and turned back around, walking more quickly to the dressing room. He didn't think he'd ever get along with someone who looked at people like that. It was different from Bakugo's angry glares and loud threats. This was a cold intimidation that he truly didn't think he could handle much more of.

* * *

When Shoto was four, his quirk manifested, and he thought that would be the end of his already unhappy life. His father, Endeavor, trained him mercilessly, beating him down and trying to break him so that he could be rebuilt in a specific way.

But Todoroki was a kind child and didn't want to be mean to anyone. He wanted to play with his siblings and sit in his mother's lap for hours while she showed him how to make snow instead of just ice.

It was also at four, when Shoto's soul mark appeared, angrily bleeding into his left ribcage and aching for hours. He remembered smiling soon after though, when his mother explained to him that it meant he'd always be loved by her, and someone else too. All he had to do was be patient and find them.

* * *

When Shoto was five, his mother poured boiling water on his left side, burning the skin around his eye as he wailed on the floor. He couldn't believe that his sweet, caring mother would do such a thing to him. He'd heard what she'd said when he was eavesdropping at the door, that his left side was unbearable…

Todoroki felt his heart break when those words and her actions finally settled inside his small mind. He said it was his father's fault, but he blamed himself too. How could she hurt him if he hadn't done something wrong?

He swore then that he wouldn't use his fire quirk anymore and tried to scrub his soul mark away. The dark, cracked heart reminded him of his mom's words, 'someone besides me will always love you'.

" _Ha! You loved me so much you burned me with scalding water. Soulmates are a lie… and mine's a crybaby too. This stupid mark burns almost every day."_ He thought bitterly.

Todoroki remembered that they shared pain, but no longer cared to think about what must be causing his other half to hurt so much, nor did he care how he was affecting the boy or girl whenever he'd get beaten for refusing to use his left side.

To him, if he was forced to suffer and deal with it, then his soulmate would just have to learn to cope too.

* * *

When Shoto was ten, no one else he knew had gotten a soul mark, and as his was easily covered by his shirt, he made no effort to tell anyone that he had. The girls in his private school swooned over the idea of potentially getting one someday and wondered what it could be.

They were just getting to the age where they started to really notice those of the opposite, and occasionally, same sex. Even though their affections were innocent and childish, it made Todoroki want to freeze the entire school.

He heard them talk about the newest tween romance novel that had come out. Apparently, some people could develop a mark, but their soulmate never did. Other times, soulmates never met and thus had to go through life always wondering. But even worse still, were those who met their fated love and were star-crossed lovers, unable to spend their life together in happiness.

Todoroki rolled his eyes at that, snorting quietly about why they should care. But he didn't say a word, he never did to anybody.

* * *

When Todoroki was fourteen, the mark on his skin burned almost as bad as it had the very first time it appeared, the crack seeming to widen ever so slightly as he grit his teeth against the sensation. Despite how stupid he thought the whole thing was, he decided Google why it had altered after so long.

Apparently, soul marks could change in unison if at least one of the two people experienced something strong enough to alter it. In this case, he figured his other half had received some pretty shitty news, seeing as it looked like the heart would finally shatter in two after all these years.

He had no idea what had caused their bond to start in the first place, obviously something bad for it to have appeared as it did, but this was something else entirely. He almost wanted to meet the person to ask… Almost…

* * *

When Shoto was fifteen, he came face to face with the dorkiest, most awkwardly happy person that he'd ever met. The boy was small, with a wobbly grin and messy green hair, and he blundered on almost all of the quirk assessments they were forced to do for Mr. Aizawa.

He kept his face stoic, but wasn't really surprised when the teen finished last, he seemed to be nothing but a waste of space in the hero course, even if he had been able to throw a ball really far. That crazy strength meant nothing if the backlash was broken bones and becoming a liability during fights.

When he heard Aizawa say that it was a 'logical deception' and that none of them were actually leaving the class, he almost let his eye twitch in annoyance, especially when he saw the teen sigh in relief and start tearing up. _"Crybaby…"_

There was something strange about him though, so he watched Midoriya as they walked back to the locker room. Giving a deep glare when the boy caught him staring. He wouldn't be intimidated or made to feel uncomfortable by someone like him.

A triumphant smirk tugged at the corner of his lips when Izuku squeaked and scurried away like a frightened rabbit. At the same time though, his chest pulsed in what he didn't realize was guilt, making him absentmindedly rub his side.

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 **Okay… Tell me what you think so far!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Huzzah! I'm back with Chapter 2! Thank you for all your support with this story and my other ones! It's very encouraging.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My hero Academia.**

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When They Were Soulmates

Chapter 2

Todoroki's side began burning again when he watched Izuku and Bakugo duke it out during their first combat training session with All Might, but he brushed it off, his soul mark often hurt during school hours so he figured it was just a coincidence. Later, during the USJ attack, it seared again a couple of times when Midoriya injured himself trying to defend Tsu and then All Might, but once again, he blamed timing.

As he looked at the green haired boy during class, he couldn't imagine that such a person could possibly be his other half. Soulmates were cut from the same cloth, they shared something intimate. Todoroki considered himself elite, cold, and solitary. Midoriya was the exact opposite. He was unassuming, warm, and seemed to be friends with everyone, except maybe Bakugo.

Still, he wanted to be sure. So, while they began training for the upcoming sports festival, he made it his mission to see Izuku shirtless and examine his left side, hoping with all his might that there wasn't a three-inch, black, broken heart drawn there.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Midoriya was shy, and often kept his face towards a wall whenever he changed. Todoroki almost wanted to throttle the small teen for making him have to try so hard to see a stupid soul mark. But, he took a calming breath each time, reminding himself that the dopy prospective hero wasn't doing it on purpose and probably had no idea what was going on.

Plan B was to get someone to bring it up during class, and hope that Izuku joined in the conversation. Feeling kind of like a spy and a delinquent at the same time, he snuck into the empty room before school hours, slipping a note in each person's desk that read 'Are you my soulmate?'

It had made Todoroki cringe to resort to something so childish, but he put that out of his mind, convincing himself that he was probably just overreacting. To his secret delight, everyone burst into action after discovering the slips of paper, trying to compare the handwriting to their classmates. He chuckled internally. As if he'd be stupid enough to not hide his writing style.

"Ugh!" Mino groaned, giving up her search for who the culprit was. "I don't have a soul mark so if anyone wants to know, it's not me!"

Just about everyone else nodded in agreement, but Ochaco looked accusingly at Midoriya. "You didn't shake your head! Do YOU have one?" she asked, getting really close to his face.

"Uhh… Uhh... I do… but I swear I didn't write these! I mean maybe it was Bakugo… he's got a mark too!" he stuttered out, flailing his arms and diverting attention away from himself.

Katsuki nearly blew up his desk, screaming about how Deku had hidden both a quirk and soul mark from him for years. The action caused Kirishima to laugh, especially when all eyes were glued to Bakugo like maybe he really had been the culprit.

Midoriya felt a little guilty for putting someone else on the spot just as he had been moments before, but he'd remembered Bakugo had always shown his mark off, unlike him. He had been content to keep silently looking ahead until Ochaco caught him, and try as he might, he simply couldn't lie to the bubbling girl.

"Hey bro! Cool your jets! It's not manly to get so worked up over something like this… here, I've got one too! Want to see?" Kirishima asked, not waiting for the blonde to reply. He pulled up his pant leg and showed off a small, bright red teardrop on his ankle. "Pretty cool right? I got mine not too long after we got our acceptance letters to UA, but I don't know what it's supposed to symbolize yet. I guess when I find my soulmate I'll ask them if they know."

While everyone else was 'oohing' and 'awing' over the little tattoo, Todoroki noticed that Bakugo had gone eerily quiet, slinking back into his seat with an almost sickly pale look to his face. Whoops… he hadn't meant to actually help someone else find their soulmate. But by the near disbelief and defiance growing in the blonde's eyes, he figured it wouldn't really matter anyway. Bakugo would probably never say a word.

He looked back to where Midoriya was, noting that his face was equally as pale. The green haired boy probably knew the truth about Kirishima and Bakugo too, seeing as they'd been friends for years and he was aware of Katsuki's mark to begin with.

Still, it irked Shoto that the classes attention had been diverted away from Midoriya. The boy didn't handle peer pressure very well so if they had just pressed a little harder he was sure he'd have gotten his answer and been done with the whole childish ordeal.

As if Ochaco could sense Todoroki's displeasure, she whipped back around and wiggled her eyebrows at Midoriya. "Soooo…. What's yours look like Deku? Bakugo won't show us his, but will you?"

The entire class turned and stared expectantly, making Midoriya flail around again and cover his face in embarrassment. "I… umm… well… I've never shown anyone before…." He explained, hoping that would be enough deterrent.

"But Midoriya!" Iida scolded, "if no one knows what your mark is, how will your other half know that it's you?"

The boy shrugged nervously, the barest hint of sadness in his eyes. "Well, I figure if we're meant to find each other we will, right?" he tried, rubbing his arm nervously. What he left unsaid, was his terrible fear of being rejected by his other half. Years of being put down by Bakugo, other classmates, hell, even teachers, had left Midoriya with a barely viable confidence in his abilities.

First, he'd been quirkless, but now that he wasn't anymore, his feelings didn't change. He had absolutely no control over his borrowed power, and that was equally as distressing. Who would want a soulmate that had been born weak and then failed at being strong after a miracle happened?

The final bell rang and the students scrambled back to their seats, leaving Todoroki even more irritated that he'd been so close. So, he moved on to Plan C, which hadn't been determined yet. He hadn't thought he'd need one if he was honest.

By the time they'd finished morning classes, he'd still had no luck with coming up with something. That is until he entered the locker room again. After the morning's uproar over soul marks, even the men of Class 1-A were curious about Izuku and Bakugo's marks and were discreetly trying to catch a glimpse of them too. He could use that to his advantage.

"Midoriya. Bakugo" He said coldly, getting their attention.

Izuku looked over his shoulder but didn't turn around, his face paling when he realized who'd spoken to him. "T-Todoroki?" he stuttered. Bakugo simply grunted in irritation.

"You're distracting everyone. Just show these fools your marks so that we can get back to what actually matters, not some stupid soulmate nonsense." He explained, his blood pounding loudly in his ears when Izuku turned to face him and apologize.

To his intense shock, happiness, and also what he refused to believe was sadness, he saw there wasn't anything on his left ribs. _"So, it was just a coincidence after all…"_

"S-sorry… T-Todoroki… I'm n-not meaning to do t-that… It's j-just…" he tried, wringing his PE shirt in his hands nervously.

"Hey man, give it a rest. Midoriya, Bakugo, you guys wait as long as you need to, okay my bro's?" Kirishima interjected, slapping his hand on their shoulders comfortingly.

* * *

Midoriya huffed to himself as he washed his PE clothes again. After the incident in class with the soulmate notes, he'd asked Ochaco for makeup so he could cover his mark whenever he went to change. He never thought it would be necessary so soon though. Todoroki had really thrown him for a loop.

Still, he guessed he could understand where the teen was coming from. Everyone had been a little more distracted than usual until Kirishima had stepped in to save him. Maybe he really should just get it over with.

He had told himself at the beginning of the year that he'd do his best and find his soulmate, but, with how poorly he was able to use One For All, he'd hesitated. His past abuse at the hands of so many people made him doubt that he could possibly be worthy of anyone's unconditional love like that.

Needing a pep talk, he texted Uraraka.

 **Deku [Thursday; 6:34 PM]:** Hey, thanks again for your foundation. Is there anything in particular that helps get it out of clothing though?

 **Uraraka [Thursday; 6:37 PM]:** Anything that works on grease should do the trick. I suggest Dawn or some other dish soap. Are you still going to hide it?

 **Deku [Thursday; 6:41 PM]:** Yeah, but I think I'm ready to show it to you if that's okay? I'm really just nervous my soulmate won't like me or something stupid like that.

 **Uraraka [Thursday; 6:42 PM]:** Hey now, don't talk like that. You're great, Deku! And YES PLEASE. I'm dying to know what yours looks like.

 **Deku [Thursday; 6:55 PM]:** 'YOUR PICTURE HAS BEEN SENT'

 **Deku [Thursday; 7:01 PM]:** …..

 **Uraraka [Thursday; 7:03 PM]:** O.M.G. That is so heartbreakingly cute. Get it? Lol! For reals though, what a beautiful mark to have. I'm so jealous! (╥_╥)

 **Deku [Thursday; 7:05 PM]:** Thanks Ura… Maybe if I do well in the sports festival I'll have the courage to show our class, I don't think anyone in there clicks with me though…

 **Uraraka [Thursday; 7:06 PM]:** Yeah! I SAY I'M GONNA DO MY BEST! ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

 **Deku [Thursday; 7:06 PM]:** ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

Midoriya laughed at his friend, hoping that he would be able to do his best too and that maybe, just maybe, he'd do well enough to prove to himself that he was worthy of being the next Symbol of Peace and a soulmate to someone.

* * *

Todoroki practiced his fighting stances in the comfort of the warm night, trying to get himself together. Midoriya hadn't had the mark, hadn't had HIS mark. He told himself it shouldn't bother him so much, but there was nothing that could take his thoughts away from the dopy teen.

" _Why is he All Might's favorite? Why can't I stop thinking about him? Why does this bother me so much?"_

Todoroki growled to himself, running his fingers over the mark that seemed to be humming in nervous happiness again. Part of him wished that he wouldn't feel anything from it anymore, good or bad. But a very small portion of his mind refused to give up, still holding onto hope that he would find the person who loved him one day.

He laid back in the grass, looking up at the sky and all its stars. They sparkled like Midoriya's eyes when he was really happy. Not that Shoto was thinking about that kind of stuff… It occurred to him that maybe he really had been hoping that Midoriya was his other half. Despite how clumsy he was, and how self-destructive his quirk seemed to be, the boy's smile was like the sunshine itself.

He ran his finger over his scar next, remembering how painful the water was when it bubbled against his skin. That was enough to get him back into the right mindset. At the sports festival, he'd challenge Midoriya, All Might's favorite, and win with just his ice quirk. Then he could prove to his father that he didn't need that damned fire to be the best. Maybe he could also push Midoriya from his mind entirely after wiping the floor with him.

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 **Okay, not nearly as long as most of my chapters, but I think this is the logical stopping place for this chapter.**

 **Please, let me know if you like it! Follow/Favorite/Review my loyal readers!**


	3. Chapter 3

***Cracks fingers and neck obnoxiously then sits down with a diet coke and instant cup ramen* LETS FUCKING DO THIS!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia**

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When They Were Soulmates

Chapter 3

When they were both still fifteen, they had an epic battle. Midoriya crushed through Todoroki's ice attacks, breaking his fingers and arms in the process, but he refused to back down, not when his friend was hurting so badly. He screamed at the dual user that his quirk was his alone, and not his fathers, igniting the boy's fire side.

When all was said and done, just before passing out and losing the match, Izuku saw the small broken heart that had become visible when Todoroki burned off a portion of his own shirt. _"My… soulmate…"_

After he woke back up in Recovery Girls office, he almost didn't pay attention to her warnings. As he looked down at the now scarred skin of his arm, he felt his heart flutter. He'd been in the same room as his other half for months, and not known it. Not that it was entirely surprising. He'd gone out of his way to never turn around when changing, so he'd never actually seen Todoroki's chest before.

Thinking back, he remembered that his mother had told him that a pairs soul mark signified a shared experience, he understood why his and Todoroki's was a broken heart. What kind of childhood he must have had to have his own mother hurt him so badly.

* * *

Izuku ran to catch up with Todoroki after the sports festival, his body just about to drop from fatigue and pain. "Hey! Wait!" he shouted, stumbling forward.

The icy-hot teen caught him, however, and held him upright, his normally blank face almost remorseful as he took in Midoriya's damaged state. But, there was still hesitance in his eyes, proof that he was still struggling with letting down his hard-fought walls.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" He questioned, glancing around quickly to see if there were villains.

Midoriya sucked in a deep breath, but shook his head, staring at Todoroki's left side with a huge grin. "You didn't tell me you had a soul mark!"

The mossy-haired teen could feel Todoroki tensing, his finger's tightening painfully around his sore arms. But Midoriya bit through it, waiting patiently for the taller boy to say something, anything. He was so close to finally being with his soulmate, so he could wait just a little longer.

The seconds ticked by, but finally, the dual user replied, his voice coming out low and threatening. "What. Of. It."

Midoriya winced and bit his lip nervously, still staring in the same place he had been since his arrival. "It's… just… You didn't say anything during that one day in class, and you seemed so irritated after everyone wanted to see mine… you called our marks stupid… Do you want to talk about it or…"

It was time for Midoriya to tense, waiting to see how the boy responded to his 'our marks' phrasing. Initially, it didn't seem like Todoroki noticed, and his arms were released. But then he felt a shadow cover him, and looked up with hope, only to see Shoto's eyes glaring down at him with a hatred he'd never even seen Bakugo give him.

"First you hound me about my quirk and now some stupid mark that means nothing? What's with you? Do you like cutting into people's private lives and messing up the way they view the world? Do you get some sick satisfaction? Fine, if you're so interested I'll tell you. Soul marks are nothing more than ink on skin. Who cares if you feel someone else's pain or happiness. I couldn't give a damn who my soulmate is. I know one thing for sure though, whoever is unlucky enough to be yours will probably never get a moments rest with the way you constantly cry, fail at using your quirk, and stick your nose where it doesn't belong. That arrogant prick Bakugo was right, you are just an annoying deku." He seethed, shoving Izuku to the ground before turning on his heel.

Midoriya was too shocked to feel anything when Shoto was practically screaming in his face, or when he stomped away leaving a trail of frost behind him. It wasn't until he was completely alone in his room that the words settled deep into his bones. He dropped face first into his pillow and wailed with as much force as his spasming lungs could muster. For the third time in his life, Izuku felt his heart break.

* * *

Todoroki was angrily throwing off his clothes and getting ready for a much-needed shower when an incredible surge of pain tore into his side, leaving him clawing for breath as he bellowed in agony. Fuyumi was kneeling at his side not long after, her eyes widening as she realized what was wrong.

"Shoto… it's okay! You have to breathe, alright? The pain will stop eventually like it always does, just… oh my God…Shoto…your mark…" she trailed off, her hand covering her mouth in horror.

Through the tears that were starting to leak from his eyes, he saw the small heart beating wildly before seizing and breaking almost completely in two, little speckles of black dust in between the two halves. Then the intense ache stopped altogether, leaving him panting to catch his breath.

He felt exhausted, drained of all energy. In the past, especially when he was young and still close with his mother, he'd run his fingers over the heart and feel a pulse of warmth and comfort. That continued every so often, even up until he'd started at UA, the action giving him strength when he felt most vulnerable. But now, as his hand clutched the symbol, there was only a numb, hollow feeling coming from it.

"What… the fuck…" he gasped, rubbing his sweating forehead on the floor as he tried to get himself to stop shaking.

Fuyumi was crying above him, petting his hair softly. It didn't even occur to him that what he'd said to Midoriya was the cause, after all, he'd not seen the mark on his ribs during their changing period for PE. He wondered what could have possibly hurt his soulmate so badly that it crushed their connection, only leaving the very tip at the bottom still holding the mark together. But darkness started pooling in his vision, and he passed out before he could think anymore.

* * *

The following school day, Shoto dragged himself to the campus. He'd tried to rub his soul mark a few times to get a rise out of it, but that empty feeling remained, and he couldn't help but frown at the sensation.

"Todoroki!" Ochaco beamed, bouncing over to his desk after he'd sat down.

The dual user really wasn't in the mood for her bullshit peppy attitude right then, but never let on, gazing at her with his usual deadpan expression. He'd yet to see Midoriya, the green haired boy having apparently not arrived yet. After giving it some thought for the rest of the weekend, he figured he should apologize for being so cruel before. Midoriya was just curious, and the boy **had** broken his body just to help him…

"Sooo…" Ochaco continued, giving him a suggestive wink.

"What?" he asked, trying not to let his irritation flood into his voice too much.

"Well, are you and Deku a thing now? He was so excited to speak with you after the festival and I haven't heard back from him yet!" she chirped, sighing romantically at the end.

This time, Todoroki didn't have a good hold on his face, and he let his confusion show.

The girl rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone, showing him the picture that Midoriya had sent her a couple of weeks ago. "I just think that little heart is so sweet. Could you believe that he hid it with my make up during changing times so that no one would see it? Bleh! He was so worried that his soulmate wouldn't want him even though I told him no one could possibly be that cruel!"

Shoto felt his blood freeze in his veins, opening his mouth to speak when the door opened again and he saw Midoriya slink through it. The boys head was hanging low, his eyes lacking their usual sparkle, lip firmly between his teeth as he gripped his backpack straps tightly.

Ochaco went to wave to him but then stopped short, noticing how he sat down at his desk without a word or glance at anyone, and pulled out his books. She looked back to Todoroki and her face paled in horror.

"You bastard." She seethed, pulling out her phone and typing quickly as she went back to her seat.

 **Uraraka [Monday; 7:58 AM]:** Deku, I'm so sorry. I couldn't have imagined that he'd turn you down and I showed him the picture you'd sent me. I'm SO, SO, SO, Sorry… What an asshole… He doesn't deserve you. Let's talk after class okay?

Todoroki heard the small vibrating alert and gulped when Midoriya took out his phone and read over whatever was sent before putting it away without a response. He nearly choked on his own freezing breath when the boy wrapped his arms around himself for comfort, his body caving in on itself.

" _I… What have I done…"_ he thought, clutching the spot on his ribs desperately, moving to get up and try to fix his wrongs.

"Alright class, sit down. We have important work to cover today. Internships and hero names." Aizawa stated, giving Todoroki a look.

The dual user sat down but kept eyeing Midoriya, barely able to keep his panicked breathing under control as his last words to the boy replayed over in his mind, guilt pooling in his stomach like a ton of bricks.

"What! Midoriya! You didn't get any offers! Probably because of that gross way you were fighting against Todoroki that nobody wants you!" Mineta exclaimed.

If it was possible, the mossy haired teen sunk lower into his chair, a weak, defeated whimper coming from his lips. Todoroki concluded at that moment, that this was the absolute worst day of his life, and he had to guess that it was probably the same for Midoriya, who was still trying to stifle the gentle shake of his shoulders as everyone started talking excitedly about who they might want to intern with.

When it came time to display their names, Midoriya got up and weakly showed his, 'Deku'. Todoroki's heart clenched again, overwhelmed and desperate with guilt.

At the lunch bell, Todoroki got up quickly, intent on going over and apologizing profusely to the teen, only to be not so discretely blocked by Ochaco. "Back. Off." She growled, giving him the deepest glare her chubby round face could muster before turning sharply and flipping her hair at him.

All Might came crashing by the door next, calling Deku away to speak with him before either student could do anything more. Almost as soon as he turned the corner, big brown eyes were trained on him, an expectant tap of her foot pounding in his ears.

"What on Earth did you say to him?" she finally asked, her usually soft, cheerful voice dripping with disdain.

He shook his head, unable to form words any longer. She seemed to take that as him just being a coldhearted ass though, and walked away, leaving him to wallow in his shame.

* * *

Todoroki paced back and forth in his room, trying to think of anything he could do. Every time he got near Midoriya, Ochaco would step between them. If he tried when she wasn't around, the boy would back away and find someone else to stand near, knowing that it was enough of a deterrent to keep him away. Now they were separated because of their internships.

He'd gotten ahold of Momo, who eventually gave him Midoriya's cell number, unaware of the events that had transpired between them.

 **Todoroki [Monday; 8:47 AM]:** Midoriya, it's Shoto Todoroki. I'm so sorry for what I said to you. I had no idea that you were about to tell me that we were soulmates.

 **Todoroki [Monday; 12:22 PM]:** Are you okay? I was just upset. I didn't mean those things I said.

 **Todoroki [Monday; 5:34 PM]:** Midoriya, I know I hurt you, but please respond to me. How can I make this right?

 **Todoroki [Tuesday; 9:58 AM]:** We don't have to talk over the phone if you don't want to. Just name a place and time and I'll be there.

 **Todoroki [Tuesday; 12:17 PM]:** Izuku… I swear I didn't mean it when I said I'd hate to be your soulmate. You're not a deku. I was being cruel and used things I knew would hurt you. Please say something?

 **Todoroki [Tuesday; 5:42 PM]:** I got my mark from you when I was four. I'm sorry for whatever caused you such suffering. The heart broke the night I snapped at you, and it feels empty, almost numb. I still consider you my soulmate though. We can fix it.

 **Todoroki [Tuesday; 8:54 PM]:** This is getting ridiculous Midoriya. I said I was sorry that I hurt your feelings but grow up and answer me.

 **Midoriya to Class 1-A [Tuesday; 8:54 PM]:** 4-2-10 Ekou Street, Hosu City.

Todoroki heard his phone buzz and quickly looked at it, surprised to only see a location, one that wasn't very far off from him. He knew it was selfish, but he ran off anyway, telling Endeavor to send help just in case.

* * *

"Iida… I'm so sorry that I didn't see how much you were suffering…" Midoriya explained sadly, using his crutch to hobble over to the equally injured teen. "I was… concerned with something else that didn't matter. I should have been there for you…"

They'd woken up after a night of healing in the hospital and been harassed by the head of the police, so the air was still tense around them. Todoroki watched as Iida and Midoriya talked for a little longer, both completely ignoring him even though he sat just a bed away.

He deserved that he guessed.

"I'm going to go call Ochaco and tell her we're alright," Midoriya stated, giving a gentle wave at Tenya as he settled back into his covers. By the time he'd gotten to a secluded part of the lobby, however, he was very much aware of Todoroki following him.

Sighing loudly, he turned and gazed sadly at the dual user, once again holding himself for comfort. "Look I already got all of your messages. I get it, Todoroki. Okay?" the smaller teen stated. "You… you don't have to apologize to me…it's fine…"

"If that's the case then why can't I feel anything from our mark anymore? When you were injured by Stain I didn't even get a single prick in my side and I should have. I should have felt your fear and pain but there was nothing…" Todoroki explained, his hand rubbing the cloth over his side.

Midoriya's face contorted slightly in anger, his words slicing into Todoroki like the Hero Killer's blades. "I don't know? Maybe it's because you severed the connection when you said I was useless and that would hate for me to be your other half. I don't get why you're trying to fix it anyway; you got what you wanted. Now it really is just ink on your skin and you won't have to put up with me crying all the time and getting hurt from sticking my nose where it doesn't belong."

"I…" Todoroki started, his eyes catching the scars that marred Midoriya's arm. He gulped, wishing he could reverse time and stop himself from being so foolish and cruel. "Please… we can start over…"

"Look, I appreciate you coming to save me and Tenya. We would have died if you hadn't… but, you meant what you said after the Sports Festival… You really didn't care who your soulmate was and you only feel bad because Ochaco accidentally told you it just happened to be me… otherwise, we probably would have just gone on with our lives so… I think that's what we should do…"

Todoroki felt tears building in his eyes. That wasn't true… He'd said what he did out of anger because he truly had been upset believing that Midoriya wasn't his soulmate. But, with their bond broken, he couldn't express that guilt and desire for redemption nonverbally anymore, and his tongue was twisted in knots. He let Midoriya walk past him and hung his head to cry, accepting his new fate.

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 ***Clears throat nervously***

 **Should I stop there? I kind of feel like this could be a relatively solid ending for the story. I mean I did title it 'When They WERE Soulmates'… I don't know. Let me hear what you think and if the people want more, then I shall give it to them! Otherwise, I'll just catagorize this story as complete and move on!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ahhh Okay… So, due to popular demand, we have another chapter! BUT… I have absolutely zero ideas for where to go from here. We will see what happens *awkward cough*.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia.**

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When They Were Soulmates

Chapter 4

After their internships ended, Todoroki tried to hang out with Izuku and pals at lunch, or make conversation in the halls, but the boy had rebuffed every attempt with polite small talk a person only made when they really wanted to end a conversation.

He wanted to respect Midoriya's wishes to just go back to being a weird mix of rivals and distant classmates, but it was hard. Even before the teen knew about his soul mark, he'd gone above and beyond to help him, giving up winning the festival and sacrificing the smoothness of his arm. And in return all he'd received was heartbreak.

Todoroki could still see Midoriya's face when he practically fell into him. It was so happy; full of awe, relief, and just a small dash of hidden anxiety. The boy had practically glued his eyes to his covered mark, staring at it in what Shoto now realized was a loving way. But he also remembered how those beautiful emotions had warped when he towered over him to scream. The hope in his emerald depths shrinking smaller and smaller with every insult until it simply died out into a blank expression.

Hell, Todoroki almost pulled out his own hair when he'd remembered shoving the boy. Midoriya had still been heavily injured, sore, and exhausted from their fight… from putting everything he wanted on the line so that Shoto wouldn't be held back by resentment anymore. And he ended up degraded and discarded, falling to the ground with a defeated: 'Ah… oww'.

The flashbacks that always seemed to be on the insides of his eyelids for the last several weeks had left Todoroki feeling as broken as the heart on his ribs. He'd neglected the training his father had laid out for him and stopped sleeping. Even his appetite had become nonexistent.

It wasn't that long before all hell broke loose in the Todoroki household. He had trailed his fingers over the mark again, hoping that if he touched it enough, it would somehow mesh back together and give him strength. But that never happened. Instead, it only caused his increasingly irate father to finally snap at him.

Endeavor threw Shoto across the training room before hurling fire at him. The boy attempted to dodge, knowing that only his left side would be resistant to the huge ball of flame, but was too slow, the burning entity slamming into him and scalding his flesh.

He sent ice back, but it was easily melted, his attacks too weak after going so long without proper rest and nutrition. Besides, his heart wasn't in the fight anyway.

"You weak, disappointment of a child! I did not create you only to have you fall apart over some ridiculous notion of companionship. Get. Up. Shoto." Endeavor growled, pulling his son up by his two-colored hair and then slamming his knee into the boy's chest, smirking when blood splattered from his mouth.

Todoroki coughed miserably on the floor, but staggered to his feet after a few seconds, attempting to engage in combat once more. But the blows just kept coming, knocking him around like a rag doll, burning his exposed skin with ease.

After nearly an hour of the intense 'training' as his father called it, he was left on the floor to cry, still clutching his soul mark as he used to do during his worst days. Eventually, he peeled himself off the ground and limped back to his room, before collapsing again on the floor, not having the energy or will to clean himself or his wounds.

* * *

"Sssst! Aaahaha…" he hissed, jerking away from the warm liquid that made his wounds burn even more painfully. He opened his eyes to find himself in his own shower, having no idea how he got there.

"Stop moving…" A small voice ordered, its tone soft.

Shoto jerked his head to the side and found Midoriya crouched beside him, using the retractable shower handle to rinse the blood and sweat from his skin. "What are you-"

"Just relax or you're going to hurt yourself even more." The boy interrupted, his face wincing when he discovered how raw Todoroki's knuckles were under the scabs that had already started to form. This time, Shoto stayed quiet and still, worried that if he upset the teen that he'd surely leave.

It was a slow process, washing him off and then dressing the many cuts, burns and potentially cracked bones that covered his trembling body, but eventually, Izuku stepped back to examine his work, giving a quick nod of approval. "Alright, lets get you in bed now, okay? You rest and I'll order in some food."

Todoroki hid his tearing eyes behind his hair and nodded, allowing Izuku to help him walk back into his bedroom and lay him down on his soft mattress. The boy turned away and Shoto felt his heart stop, his hand reaching out to halt the retreat. "Please… don't go…" he begged.

"I told you I'm ordering food. I'll be right back… I promise" he answered, adding the last part on after a brief pause, as if he knew how much Shoto needed reassurance.

When the teen returned, he had his signature nervous smile, holding out a Styrofoam container for Todoroki to take. "Cold Soba, your favorite, right?"

The dual user nodded and sniffled, taking the food with a quiet 'thank you'. They sat in silence and ate their meal, Midoriya keeping his head down. As time passed however, he began to fidget nervously, and Shoto once again wished he could feel what the other was so he'd know what to do.

"Is this what happened to you as a child? My mark would hurt nearly every day, and I always wondered what was happening to the person it connected me to." Midoriya asked, his voice just above a whisper.

Todoroki nodded, using his ice to cool one of the areas that was still causing him discomfort. "He's always trained me hard so that I'll surpass All Might. I'm sorry that it caused you so much-"

"Don't say that!" Midoriya cried, his voice breaking with emotion. "Don't you ever say sorry for what he did to you. I would have taken that pain for as long as needed if it would have spared you even a minute of… of this!"

Todoroki swallowed, trying to get his mouth to stop drying out so much. He knew Midoriya meant every word, his arm proved how far he would go for a friend, so he couldn't imagine how persistent he'd be for his soulmate. But that also just showed the dual user how badly he'd hurt him to crush their connection.

Shoto lowered his head and rubbed his mark without thinking, inciting a growl from the person beside his bed.

"And stop touching that! You had your hand on it when I found you bleeding on your floor too! You didn't want it before so why act like it's special to you now!" Midoriya hissed, pointing his finger accusingly.

"I… I didn't mean it… the mark you left on me has always been a great comfort… even when I didn't want it there I'd catch myself touching it because it always felt so warm and soothing. Mine hurt everyday too, but when it would burn it wouldn't last long. You're so kind… I bet you pulled yourself together because you knew I would feel your pain… I'm so sorry, Midoriya…" he pleaded, hanging his head in shame.

"Then why? Why would you…. Grrr… Never mind; it doesn't matter. Me being here doesn't change anything between us okay? You…I… We just need more time away from each other; that's all…" Izuku stated, his voice breaking off as he fought back tears.

Shoto bit the inside of his lip harshly, but he didn't even really feel it. Midoriya was up and already moving out of the room, leaving him alone and defeated once again. He desperately wanted to say something, anything, that would give him more time with his soulmate. "How… How did you know I needed you?"

At the door, Izuku paused some, shifting on his feet like he was fighting with himself on whether or not he should answer. "I just… Try to take care of yourself, okay Todoroki? Your sister says you haven't been eating or sleeping and I don't like seeing anyone suffer."

Shoto's throat clamped around his voice box, a weak, pitiful whine echoing around the room in response. Midoriya looked back then and gave a small, sad smile, but ultimately exited the bedroom, leaving his soulmate alone and broken.

* * *

 **~Time-Skip: 1 Week~**

Shoto's thoughts had been plagued by Midoriya's face since he'd first thought that they might be soulmates. The image fluctuated between the initial dorky and shy smile to the more somber, deflated frown that his harsh words had caused.

Now, however, all Todoroki could think about was how Midoriya had known that he needed help, and of course why he'd chosen to come after everything he'd done to hurt him. He'd spent the week following his beating working up enough courage to reach out to the only person he thought might be able to help him.

 **Todoroki [Friday; 5:24 PM]: Ochaco. This is Shoto Todoroki. Would you please meet me at the 'All Heroes Café' at 6:45 PM tonight? Please, don't tell Midoriya.**

 **Ochaco [Friday; 5:28 PM]: The number you are trying to reach doesn't respond to bastards who break their soulmates hearts. Please, check the number and try someone who doesn't hate you.**

Todoroki sighed heavily and refrained from melting or freezing his phone right on the spot. This was a terrible idea, horrible, and completely stupid. But it was all he had. So, he blinked back his frustrated tears and finished getting ready.

It was only half past five, but he didn't want to wait around for his father to get home for some 'training' tonight. He headed out to the coffee shop and ordered an iced black coffee, playing with the condensation as he waited for Ochaco to either show up or blow him off as the text had implied.

Almost two hours ticked by, but still, Todoroki sat. His mood was a roller coaster, peaking every time the door bell would ring and then plummeting soon after when the person entering wasn't his classmate. He knew that he should probably just go home at this point, but he didn't want to. What if she was just running late? What if she had a change of heart?

Shoto checked his watch again; it was getting closer to eight now and his father had already left him several messages about his whereabouts. But that didn't matter to him. When he ate, the food was bland. When he slept, his dreams were blank. When he was injured, even the pain seemed to be subdued. With his soul mark empty and numb, everything around him soon followed suit.

Eventually, though, Todoroki had to face the fact that she wasn't coming. He slowly got up from his chair and stalked towards the door, doing his best to fight back the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. She was his only chance of getting through to Midoriya and she refused.

* * *

On Monday morning, Todoroki almost didn't drag himself to school he felt so drained. He put his things away in his locker, trying to ignore how Midoriya talked animatedly to Ochaco and Iida just a few lockers down. The sound both comforted him and tore him down; it was awful.

Shoto watched longingly as the trio headed to class and followed after like a lost puppy. He spent the entire day trying not to glance over at the messy-haired teen, and as usual, he failed miserably. It occurred to him that today was the first school day since his epic soulmate blunder that he hadn't tried to start up a conversation with Midoriya.

When the final bell rang, he drudged up enough courage to try once again. "How was your weekend?" he asked weakly.

Izuku gave him his usual uncomfortable smile and shrugged. "It was fine… What about you?"

Todoroki just nodded at the ground and decided to bail then, his confidence in keeping the conversation going almost non-existent at this point. He hurried to his locker and practically threw it open, only when he did a letter flew out and nearly hit him in the face.

Shoto froze and stared at the envelope as it fell to the ground. Eventually, he bent over and slowly picked it up, his hands shaking with nervousness as he opened it.

' _Stormy silver and raging blue, your eyes were once so guarded and now that's through. Every glance around the class, reminds me that your heart is broken glass. I long to see that sparkling stare, unhindered by sadness and without a care. Let those orbs shine bright for me and I'll love you forever; we'll both be free.'_

"-oki! Todoroki! Hey!" Midoriya yelled, moving to shake the teen as well as he could.

Shoto blinked a couple of times and looked down, realizing that he'd accidently been using both sides of his quirk without thinking. His locker door had melted slightly under his hand, and the floor to his right was covered with ice from his leg.

"Shoto! I asked you if everything was okay! Answer me!" Midoriya called again, his face becoming more distressed with each passing second.

Todoroki swallowed hard and shook his head, clearing it as best he could. "I… uh… fine…" he finally mustered. He quickly hid the letter behind his back and took a step away from the smaller teen, suddenly feeling a tidal wave of embarrassment from his loss of control over a love letter. He retreated.

* * *

By the time Shoto got back to his home, the note was weighing heavily in his pocket. He took it out and read it again, over and over until it was committed to his memory. He thought it was beautiful, but, it hurt him all the same.

When he first started wondering if Midoriya could be his soulmate, he'd started to watch him more closely. That behavior had only increased once he'd thoroughly destroyed their connection and today was no different.

The letter hadn't been there when he first got to school, Izuku hadn't gone to the locker isles throughout the day, and Shoto had gotten to them first after the last bell rang. Iida and Ochaco had been with Midoriya the entire time as well, so it wasn't them helping him out.

Todoroki put the letter in his desk drawer and shut it harder than necessary. He knew he shouldn't be upset that someone else was apparently interested in him, but he was anyway. Midoriya was the only one he wanted; they were fated to be together and as much as he longed for someone to love him, he knew he couldn't truly accept anyone other than Izuku.

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 **Okay guys. I'm so sorry if this chapter was a hot mess. I really wasn't expecting everyone to be so adamant about a continuation so I'm floundering here! I humbly apologize for potentially butchering this story.**

 **Please, tell me what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**OMG guys! Another wave of support has me like *sobbing in gratefulness*! Thank you so much!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia**

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When They Were Soulmates

Chapter 5

Todoroki had refused to open his desk drawer since placing the love letter inside unless it was absolutely necessary. It seemed to him that Tuesday through Thursday had passed by in a mixture of torturously slow and entirely too fast. As Friday morning rolled around and then crept by, he continued his sometimes obvious glancing at the mossy-haired teen.

He gave a small wave in Midoriya's direction as they headed to their lockers, his heart fluttering when he got one in return. Not that it was anything special; Izuku was simply too kind to ignore him or go out of his way to be rude. "You did well in training today…" he commented.

"You did too… I'm glad you're using your fire side more now…" Midoriya responded awkwardly.

Todoroki took a secret, calming breath and then turned to attempt a continuation of their conversation as he opened his bag, stopping short when he noticed a familiar white envelope peaking out of the top of his notebook.

"Is everything okay, Todoroki?" Izuku asked, apparently having noticed the sudden change in his ex-soulmates disposition.

Shoto nodded slowly and zipped his bag back up, choosing instead to carry whatever he needed in his arms. "I… I'm fine… sorry for bothering you again…" he murmured, turning to retreat once again.

Izuku's warm hand stopped him, however, and he dared to look back at his crush. "Todoroki… I know I said we should go back to how we were, and I still think that's the best idea… But this… this tension between us isn't what I wanted…"

"Then what do you want, Midoriya?" Shoto asked, doing his best to keep his voice and face as neutral as possible. He knew Izuku would feel guilty if the boy knew just how devastated he was about being separated, even if it had been his fault to begin with. Todoroki couldn't shame Midoriya into spending time with him.

"Just… I want… I'm sorry. I know this is my fault for making it weird between us but I think we could be friends? Maybe? I don't know… am I making sense? Oh no. I'm making everything worse, aren't I? I didn't mean-"

"Midoriya." Todoroki cut in, the edges of his lips curling into the slightest smile. "Please don't think this is your fault. It's mine. I'll try to do better with being less awkward around you if it will make you happy."

And Shoto meant it. This was the most conversation they'd had since Midoriya had shown up in his room to take care of him and it flooded his heart and mind with relief. Izuku rubbed the back of his neck and nodded, his cheeks flushing ever so slightly as he headed back to his friends.

* * *

By the time Todoroki had made it back to his home, he'd almost completely forgotten about his newest envelope. But when he found it again, sticking out of his notebook just as proudly as it had earlier, the light airy feeling he'd had walking back suddenly disappeared.

Today had been a breakthrough of sorts with Midoriya, but Todoroki new it could easily have been the boys innately kind demeanor forcing him to make amends for something that wasn't even his problem to fix. Even if that wasn't the case, that didn't mean Izuku wanted more than an acquaintance level friendship with him.

Hesitantly, he opened the letter, being extremely careful not to wrinkle the delicate paper.

' _You've yet to smile in your own way, and I can't help but wonder if I'll ever see it someday. The world it seems has beat you down, that sadness evident in your blank frown. I try and fail to block you out, because I know we're both consumed with doubt. But each day I see your crestfallen stare, I want to try again to show you that I care.'_

Todoroki fell back on his bed after reading the note, his heart fluttering slightly from the sweet words. He wanted to know who could have possibly given him the letter; who had watched his behavior enough to know such things about him.

Then another wave of disappointment and guilt flooded through him, effectively washing away the excited feeling he'd been basking in. He didn't deserve whoever was trying to entice him because he'd likely snap at them just as he had with Midoriya. Even more than that, Todoroki didn't think that he would be able to love them in the same way, not when his heart already belonged to Izuku whether the boy ever accepted it again or not.

* * *

 _ **~Saturday~**_

Apparently, Shoto had still not been performing up to his father's standards in school or in training. He'd come in fifth during the midterms, which obviously wasn't first place. As he stood in his bathroom attempting to bring down the swelling around his right eye and ribs, he couldn't help but rub his soul mark again.

'knock, knock'

"Come in…" he drawled.

It was Fuyumi as usual; she always tended to show up after his training to try and offer her support. She gave him a knowing smile as her eyes drifted down to his bear chest, examining the still broken soul mark. "You have a visitor."

Shoto felt his face heat up as quickly pulled on a clean shirt, following her out of his room and down the stairs where a familiar mop of hair was shifting around, obviously uncomfortable in the grand home. His heart skipped a beat, but he tried to calm himself.

"Midoriya?" he questioned.

"Todoroki! Hey! I uh… WHAT HAPPENED?" Izuku screeched, scurrying over to cup the taller teens face gently as he examined the slightly blackening eye.

Shoto's eyes flickered to his sister, who nodded and left them alone. "What are you doing here, Midoriya?"

"Don't change the subject! Did you get these in 'training' again? This isn't right! I'm all for working hard, but this is too much! I hate seeing you like this, I'll talk to-"

Todoroki felt torn between happiness that Izuku was concerned for his wellbeing and a burning bitterness. He wanted the boy to love him, not pity his home life. "Midoriya. That's enough. I'm not your problem anymore remember? Now, tell me what you're doing at my house; I've got to get back to training so that I can dodge more effectively next time."

Deku looked taken aback by the sudden coldness that seeped from Todoroki's lips, and he stopped fingering the bruise while dropping his eyes to the ground. "I said we should be friends, so I came by to ask you if you wanted to hang out, but I guess you're busy. Sorry to have intruded, I won't come by again."

Shoto immediately regretted his words, the sight of Midoriya walking away from him again hitting him solidly in the gut. "No, wait I… I'm sorry…"

Izuku sighed heavily as he slipped on his shoes, his shoulders sagging in disappointment. "It's fine; I know you didn't mean it… We can hang out another time when you're free and not upset about family stuff."

Todoroki felt pain course through his chest, urging him to try and make things right. This was the second time he'd snapped at Midoriya for trying to reach out and help him, and this time he knew full well he was already on thin ice with the teen. But, instead, he nodded and backed away, hoping his love would leave before he fully broke down.

Midoriya turned back to look at him though, his green eyes searching Shoto's form with the same analytic skills he used in battle. Slowly, he moved closer, holding out his hand with a shy, understanding smile.

But Todoroki didn't move to grab it. He stared at the appendage like it wasn't real; like he didn't deserve to have it extended to him so selflessly.

"It doesn't take a soul mark to tell me you're upset… I know you didn't mean to be harsh with me just now. Come and spend some time with me? It will be fun I think… Please, Shoto…"

The use of his given name made Todoroki's eyes snap up from the boy's hand to his eyes, looking into them deeply. There was no judgment or anger there, only kindness and empathy. He nodded weakly and entwined their fingers, feeling a rush of relief and calmness flowing into him from the contact that only a soulmate could provide.

* * *

"My mom's out of town for the weekend…" Midoriya explained as he opened his apartment door. He led Todoroki inside and to his room, watching him as the teen took in the small, but comfy space. When he finally opened his bedroom door, however, he flushed heavily. "Uh… All Might has always been my favorite hero…"

Todoroki just nodded absently, his eyes unsure of which poster, action figure, or other 'All Might' memorabilia to settle on. But they soon landed on Midoriya, taking in his blushing face. He grinned this time, a full, genuine smile that he didn't even know he was capable of. That only seemed to make his host redder though.

Izuku cleared his throat weakly and dragged Shoto towards his bed. "Take off your shirt, I want to see how bad your ribs are hurt this time…Oh! Uh… I mean please…" he ordered, his voice quickly losing its authoritative tone.

Shoto hesitated for a moment but soon did as he was told, not wanting to chance being told to leave because he was ashamed and embarrassed about his latest failed training exercise. Midoriya had already seen him at his worst both temper wise and weak; he could handle this.

As soon as the clothing came off though, he became painfully aware of how those green eyes latched onto his ruined soul mark and suddenly felt even more uncomfortable. Todoroki tried to come up with something to say; anything that might ease the tension that had fallen over the two of them.

However, Midoriya for once gracefully moved on without assistance. He kneeled down and traced the blueish purple discolored skin gently, his calloused fingertips ghosting across the muscles and bone lightly so as not to hurt Todoroki. After a few minutes of quiet examination, he seemed content. "I don't think anything is broken this time… just some nasty bruises… I've got some Ibprophen if you want some?"

Shoto shook his head and attempted another tentative smile. Despite how his ribs and cheek ached from 'training' the day before, all the comfort he needed was conveniently kneeling before him. "I'm fine… there's really no need to worry…"

Midoriya huffed and rolled his eyes but stood anyway. "You and Kacchan are really the worst, you know that? It's not weakness to let someone help you!"

Todoroki hummed and gave a nod. _"Or we just don't think we deserve help from someone as genuinely kind hearted as you…"_

"So… umm…" Izuku started after the small lapse in conversation. "It's already late since we had to wait on the train after that villain caused trouble at the station. I bet you're tired."

Shoto was in fact, exhausted. Despite Midoriya's plea for him to eat and sleep properly after finding him so destroyed from 'training', he'd struggled to do as the boy asked. Being near him, feeling that soothing aura, it reminded him of how utterly worn down he was. But he didn't want to sleep now; this was his chance to spend time with Izuku and he couldn't pass it up because of something like needing rest.

While he was thinking, Midoriya had taken the opportunity to strip down to his boxers and pull on a pair of sweatpants. He waved his hand in front of Todoroki's face and chuckled lightly when the boy jumped and tried to repress a blush at his host's state of undress.

"We can hang out all day tomorrow, I promise" Izuku stated, holding out an extra pair of sweatpants. He gave a shy smile when Todoroki took them, and stepped out, mumbling about getting the Ibprophen anyway.

Shoto changed quickly so that Izuku wouldn't accidently walk in on him, but then he didn't really know what to with himself. He wasn't sure if he should take the couch, or if there was an extra futon somewhere…Once again, Midoriya was able to sneak up on him. _"I really need to focus…"_

"I don't mind sharing the bed… if that's okay with you I mean… It's okay if it isn't! I can stay in my mom's room tonight or maybe the couch if you think that's weird… I don't mind whatever you pick; I want you to be comfortable and-"

"Sharing is fine…" Todoroki muttered, his nails digging into his palms. He was feeling a whirlwind of emotion, raging between embarrassment and happiness over getting to sleep next to his soulmate and nervousness over the same thing.

Midoriya fidgeted slightly, but donned his nervous, 'I'm terrified but I'm going to be the Number One Hero so I won't let this stop me' smile. He boldly flipped off the lights and then ushered Todoroki towards the bed, crawling in after him.

The two laid on their sides, facing away from each other. It wasn't ideal, and far from intimate, but Todoroki couldn't help but smile into the pillow… For now, it was enough.

* * *

The next morning, Shoto woke up to an empty bed, his heart immediately leaping in his chest. He glanced around and found a clock mocking him with how long he'd slept in. It was already a quarter past nine and he didn't know how long he'd get to stay and hang out with Izuku. Without any regard to his bruised ribs, he practically ripped himself from the warm covers and pulled his shirt back on.

He slowed down some when he reached out for the doorknob, not wanting to seem frantic if Midoriya was in the living room. As he peered around the corner, he was assaulted with sweet smells and a gentle humming.

Shoto didn't know how long he'd been staring before Midoriya turned around and gave a slight jump, blushing heavily. "Todoroki! I didn't know you were up yet!" he squeaked.

The dual user felt himself turn slightly pink and just nodded silently. He could tell the truth and let Midoriya know that he was entranced by the humming, amazing smells, and sight of his soulmate cooking them breakfast, but that seemed too forward considering everything that had happened between them.

"You didn't have to do that" he finally muttered, averting his eyes slightly.

Midoriya was still red but smiled happily, turning back to his pancakes. He didn't need to explain that he wanted to do it, he just hoped that they could have a fun day together without worrying about training, being soulmates, or their futures.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, my friends! Ahhh... This has been a tough chapter for me to write... I'm kind of at a loss for what to do, but I'm working on it! Thank you for your support!**

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When They Were Soulmates

Chapter 6

The following Monday, Todoroki walked through the school halls feeling much better than he ever had before. He'd spent an entire Saturday with Midoriya, listening to him laugh and spout his endless knowledge on pro heroes and anything else that happened to pop into his head. He didn't even care that his father had harassed him for skipping training that Sunday.

Still, for as wonderful as it was, he couldn't help but feel an edge of disappointment and impatience. Shoto knew that Izuku was purposely keeping the topic of soulmates out of their conversations, and while he knew he couldn't blame the teen, he wished there was something he could do to change his mind.

Todoroki had thought that Midoriya was a nobody without any real hero skills when they first met, but that sentiment was quickly replaced when he saw not only how powerful the boy's quirk was, but the fierceness of his drive.

Once that had happened, he'd become even more aware of the teen's other enticing traits, like his ever-messy hair, adorable grin, and awkward yet endearing fidgeting/mumbling. Then he realized that they might actually be soulmates and the feelings he'd developed seemed like it might actually work out.

Now that he was finally being honest with himself, he'd been devastated when he thought Midoriya wasn't his other half, so much so that it could only have been because he'd fallen in love with him. Being soulmates was just a bonus in his mind.

But he'd gone and ruined that. He told himself that as amazing as it was to hang out with the teen, they were only doing things that any friends would have done. That's all Midoriya wanted from him and he knew he should respect that.

Todoroki opened his locker slowly. He could hear Izuku babbling about a recent fight and wanted to still be there when the teen reached his own locker so that he could strike up a conversation again. However, as soon as the metal pulled back, another envelope was taped to the inside. He stared at it, wondering if he should even bother opening the crisp white lid.

"Hey, Todoroki!" Midoriya called, yanking the teen from his internal struggle. "It looks like someone sent you a letter."

Shoto felt his face pale. _"Oh no! What if he wants to read it? What if he tells me I should pursue this relationship instead of holding out for something to work out between us? Damn it… What do I do?"_

Apparently, he took to long to respond, because Midoriya's hand came to rest on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. "It's addressed to you, is there something wrong with it?"

"Uh… no… it's… it's nothing really." Todoroki grit out, suddenly unable to form a complete sentence without extreme effort.

"Then what are you waiting for? Open it!" Izuku stated, giving him another wide grin.

Todoroki couldn't imagine anything more awkward than opening a love letter from someone else in front of his soulmate, even if the boy wasn't interested in him anymore. He stared at those big green eyes, searching them. _"Maybe if I open it he won't ask what it says? I kind of want him to though… I want to know what he wants me to do about it…"_

' _You hid it well and I admit I still down know, how truly deep your emotional scars go. Beneath your carefully placed wall of ice and cold, your fire raged angry and bold. I only wish to make you see, how soft and kind you could actually be. Love and happiness have alluded us two, but maybe if we are together, life will take on a new hue.'_

Todoroki didn't read it out loud, but he waited to see how Midoriya reacted to his facial expressions, knowing that he had started to blush lightly and probably seemed close to melting. But, Izuku just gazed up at him curiously, either ignoring or not noticing his behavior.

"It's nothing… just like I said" Shoto finally stated.

Deku tilted his head slightly but nodded and smiled. He opened his mouth as if to say something when the warning bell rang, forcing him to run to his own locker so that he could grab his things without being late.

The dual user let out a shaky breath. He both hoped and dreaded for Midoriya to bring up the letter again.

* * *

It had been years since Todoroki actually minded solitude. After his mother had been sent away and he'd been forced to train endlessly instead of doing what normal children did, having to put on airs of being happy just to talk to other people seemed like an unnecessary strain.

Of course that all changed when Midoriya had broken into his life and forced him to take a hard look at who he'd become. Now, every minute spent alone seemed like an eternity, endless, and cold. He held his three love letters in his hands tightly as he walked the familiar grounds of the hospital.

His mother was sitting outside in the sun, white hair illuminated under the soft rays. Her own stormy silver eyes looked distant, as if her spirit wasn't dwelling in her body… as if she wasn't trapped in this terrible place.

Todoroki watched her for several minutes, trying to memorize every detail of her gentle but sad expression. At least she didn't cry here…

"Shoto?" the woman called, smiling when he nodded.

This was the third time he'd visited her but to him, it always felt like the first and the last. "Hello mother, how are you doing today? Are you still being treated well?"

Rei tilted her head to the side some, a small smile forming on her lips. "What's the matter my dear Shoto?" she asked, completely ignoring his questions.

Todoroki bit his lip and nodded, moving to sit with her on the bench. The woman had always been able to tell when he was upset from the time he was born. "I um… I messed up really badly mom… I don't know what to do."

Rei pulled him close to her, running her soft hands through his hair. He'd already told her that he'd been consumed by hatred for all Endeavor had done to him and the rest of his family, how he'd let that negativity seep into all aspects of his life. She understood; after all, she'd temporarily lost her own sanity and burned him when he was only a child.

Shoto took a deep breath and told her about what had happened between him and Midoriya after the sports festival. About how his soul mark had split. About how he was worried that he'd lost Izuku because of his own demons and that it hurt him deeply knowing that he probably couldn't fix it. Then, he handed her the letters and sniffed, explaining that someone else seemed to care for him too.

"I… I just feel so guilty mom… I was destined to be with Izuku and I destroyed our connection; I'm sure he's just spending time with me because he's such a good person. Whoever is writing these to me either doesn't know about what I've done or doesn't care and both of those options worry me. I couldn't love them like they claim to love me! I want… I need **him** … Mom… what do I do?"

Rei kept petting her sons hanging head soothingly, letting him wet her shoulder with tears. "Soulmates are rare in this world, Shoto… They share something so intimate that they are both halves of the same whole. You've hurt this Midoriya badly, but, he's still trying to be there for you… Is it really so bad to wait a lifetime for him to come around when so many others are never even given the opportunity to experience such a connection?"

Todoroki raised his head to look at his mother. He knew she was speaking the truth and when his situation was put in that perspective it really didn't seem as bad as he'd thought. If he was there for Midoriya and proved that he could be worthy, then there was still a chance, even without their soul marks.

"But, what do I do about this secret admirer? They seem so serious about being with me…." He asked, taking the letters back carefully.

Rei brushed the hair from his eyes and looked into them. There was something about her stare that confused Todoroki, like he should already know the answer to his query. "Do you have any idea who it might be?" she finally questioned.

"No… I mean… No one comes to mind… Midoriya is the only person I really talk to other than this girl named Momo, and she is already seeing someone else." He admitted, furrowing his brows in slight frustration.

His mother smiled softly again, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Then I suggest you try to be a little more observant. I'm sure whoever it is will show themselves eventually… just be patient my Shoto, everything always works out in the end…"

* * *

Todoroki walked to the train station slowly, contemplating everything he and his mother had discussed during their visit. He knew he loved Midoriya; there was never any question about that. Now that he finally had some perspective on the situation, he'd be more than willing to wait as long as necessary to show the teen that he could be someone worth loving too.

However, the secret admirer business frustrated him. The letters were so sweet and intimate, like whoever had sent them was peering into his soul. He couldn't completely ignore how they made his heart flutter… or the subsequent guilt he felt afterward.

" _I should leave a letter for them to find; something that explains that while I appreciate how they understand me, I'm already in love with someone else… yeah… that's the right thing to do, isn't it? Let them down easy so I don't lead them on…"_

"Hey! Scarface!" A voice shouted from behind him, his heart dropping at the sound.

"Bakugo…" he answered turning to scowl at the blonde. "What do you want?"

The explosive teen sneered at him, obviously taking delight in whatever he was about to say. "I hear you've got a secret admirer… someone leaving little notes in your stuff ahh? Must be hard to ignore after you fucked up with that shitty Deku."

Todoroki's anger dropped to zero as shock overtook him, then quickly skyrocketed, making his vision almost go red. He grabbed Katsuki by his collar and dragged him to a nearby alley, shoving him against the wall with enough force to cause the slightly shorter teen to wince. "TALK." He ordered lowly.

Bakugo smiled though, unphased by how irate he'd made Todoroki. He looked him up and down, sizing him up like he was the one holding Shoto against the brick and not the other way around. "Aww, what's wrong candy-cane? Are you pissed that Deku told me how you broke his heart or that I know about those letters?"

Todoroki could feel his quirk activating almost out of his control, grateful that it was his right hand holding Katsuki still so that he wouldn't accidentally burn him if any flames happened to flicker out. He searched Bakugo's red eyes with his own, glaring deeply as he tried to find evidence of him bluffing.

"I swear on my soul mark I will show you how little you deserved that win in the sports festival if you don't tell me what you know. Right. Now." He seethed, pulling the teen up higher so that his toes were barely touching the ground.

The jab seemed to rattle Bakugo for a moment, his face flashing a dangerous anger before it was suppressed. The reaction made Todoroki pause for a moment; Katsuki never backed down from a fight, even if someone wasn't trying to start one. He'd openly threatened him, and insinuated that he was weaker, and yet the blonde was forcing himself not to attack.

"You mean broken soul mark, right? Ha! I'm not telling you shit, icy hot. Just here to deliver another fucking love letter since I'm such a great fucking guy." He stated. Bakugo pulled the slightly crinkled letter out of his back pocket and waved it in front of Todoroki's face, raising an eyebrow when the boy's eyes didn't bother to follow it.

"I don't want it. Give it back to whoever gave it to you and tell them to expect one from me." Shoto stated, releasing his hold and backing away. He turned and moved to leave, stopping short when Bakugo sent a small explosion at his back. It wasn't enough to hurt him, but it did make him even more irritated.

"Nicer than what you did to Deku, isn't it? Fucking typical. Don't worry. I'll let them know, I'm sure they'll be interested to hea-"

Todoroki whipped around and shot ice at Bakugo, the spikes just barely missing him as he dodged. The blonde grinned again, thoroughly enjoying upsetting the teen.

"You don't fucking know what you're talking about, Bakugo. Yes. I fucked up with Izuku but I'm trying to fix it! I already know I'll never be good enough for someone like him and you reminding me doesn't fucking help anything! Just what do you want?" Todoroki spewed, his eyes tearing up with stress and emotion.

Bakugo flicked the letter between his fingers like a pencil, shrugging slightly. "So, you'd rather have that little shit than someone who actually says they want to be with you?"

Todoroki sputtered and rubbed his now aching temples. Just what game was Katsuki playing, and why of all people, did it have to be Bakugo that harassed him. As if possessed, or perhaps worn out from everything that had happened since the sports festival, he answered. "Of course I want Izuku… I loved him before I found out we were soulmates. No one else matters…"

"Heh… Fucking sappy and stupid as usual. Whatever, icy-hot" Katsuki responded, strolling by him as if they were passing by each other in school. He shoved the envelope onto Shoto's chest and kept going, whistling to himself.

Todoroki was tempted to throw a chunk of ice at his head but held back. They really didn't need a full blown fight starting in the middle of the city. He growled to himself and opened the now thoroughly wrinkled paper.

" _I'm sorry that I asked Bakugo to deliver this letter, he's abrasive and brutally honest, but I couldn't think of anyone better. He'll get the truth of how you really feel, then report back to me so that I know what's real. The next note I send will depend on what you say, but please know that how you've been smiling has brightened my day."_

Shoto groaned in frustration, but carefully tucked the envelope in his back pocket with the others. They weighed so little and yet made him feel like he'd spontaneously gained a whole ton. What did the letter mean? Would they stop coming now that he'd told Bakugo how much he still loved Midoriya?

That would solve the problem without him having to do anything else but it still made him feel guilty. He owed whoever it was more than just Bakugo telling them he wasn't interested. There probably wouldn't be a worse person to deliver bad news.

He rubbed his ribcage slightly, almost jumping when the faintest tingle erupted from the touch. His eyes flew down as he yanked his shirt up. It was still just as split as it had been, but he was certain he'd felt something…

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 **Okay, my pretties! We're getting close to the actual end this time. I hope you all are still enjoying it!**


	7. Chapter 7

**OMG Guys! You've helped me break 100 reviews and followers! Thank you so much for your generous, motivation inspiring support!** **(90 Favorites I think; so, I'm so close there too! AHHH)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia.**

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When They Were Soulmates

Chapter 7

Bakugo pulled out his phone almost as soon as he rounded the alley corner. He felt a mixture of satisfaction and irritation as he left Todoroki alone to deal with whatever that note had said; technically it wasn't his problem.

 **Bakugo [Friday; 6:23 PM]:** Fucking delivered as promised. Found out he's only got the hots for you too you little nerd. Now pay up.

 **Midoriya [Friday; 6:25 PM]:** Good; Thank you!

 **Midoriya [Friday; 6:25 PM]:** I want to know what he said.

 **Midoriya [Friday; 6:26 PM]:** You weren't too mean, were you?

 **Midoriya [Friday; 6:26 PM]:** Meet me for coffee? You still drink coffee, right?

 **Midoriya [Friday; 6:26 PM]:** Oh of course! You're payment. I can do that when we meet up. You're okay with doing this in public right?

 **Bakugo [Friday; 6:27 PM]:** Damnit Deku. Stop spamming my phone with your annoying ass messages. Gods I can practically hear you mumbling to yourself like the fucking spaz you are. 'All Hero's Café' at 6:45 you little shit. Be there or I'll blow your ass up right in front of that candy cane bastard.

 **Midoriya [Friday; 6:28 PM]:** Okay, Kacchan!

Izuku giggled to himself, rubbing his soul mark lovingly. He wanted to know more about what Todoroki had said, but, that first text from Bakugo was enough to ease the nervousness he'd felt about sending in such an abrasive person to deliver the message.

* * *

Katsuki growled to himself as he pocketed his phone, still choosing to ignore how idiotic he felt this whole mess of a situation was. He stomped his way to the café, glaring darkly at anyone who happened to remember him from the Sports Festival.

"Coffee; Black with extra cinnamon." He hissed at the barista, throwing his cash down on the counter with attitude. "And give me something sweet that a little crybaby teen would like."

The girl simply smiled back at him with understanding. More often than not, the customers were pro heroes or students in training to become pros, so a certain level of irritation was always present at the end of the day. The staff understood that being a hero was hard enough without never having a moment alone to just sit and enjoy coffee.

The café prided itself on giving these courageous individuals the privacy and reprieve they often needed. Anyone seen fanboying/fangirling customers who came was instantly removed from the premises. So Bakugo being his usual grumpy self was simply accepted and moved on from.

He tapped his foot as he waited, eyeing Deku's whip cream covered beverage with an intense glare. Soon enough, a mop of green hair breezed in through the door, twisting almost frantically as he searched.

"Over here, dumbass," Bakugo grunted, sending a small blast from his hands.

Midoriya smiled widely and snuck into his chair, giving a few breathy apologies on the way to other customers disturbed by his friend's antics. He'd been running the entire way, full cowl activated to make it across town in time.

"Kacchan…" he mumbled as he settled himself. "Oh! You got me something? That's really nice of you! I wasn't expecting-"

"Fucking pay up. I did what you asked." Bakugo interrupted.

Deku flinched at first but eventually regained his nerve. "You still haven't told me what he said and you actually haven't finished your part… but fine. We can do your payment for today first… Why don't you tell me how the things I've suggested have worked so far?"

For once, Bakugo's face became pink and he averted his eyes. "Same as always; he doesn't fucking notice."

Midoriya tilted his head, licking some of the whipped cream from his top lip in thought. "Ah, so you still haven't told Kirishima? But why? You were always so proud of your mark when you got it… I know you think he'll just go out with you because your connected but I stand by my assessment that he really does care about you Kacchan."

"I'm not a little bitch like you, Deku. I could tell him any time I wanted to I just don't…" Bakugo snapped. His voice soon trailed off, his signature scowl deepening before finally breaking into a shame-filled stare.

Midoriya hummed lightly, his brows furrowed with concentration. "No, you aren't like me for the most part… but I do understand wanting to be accepted by someone because of who I am and not what I am. Besides, I bet Kirishima will just be happy that you liked him enough to put this much effort into something like this.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Bakugo growled, his sneer returning in full force.

Izuku put his hands up in apology, giving a nervous grin. "Nothing Kacchan… It's not bad… It's just that everyone knows how serious you are about being the best and probably wouldn't want a distraction. And it's not like you're the most romantic person either so it doesn't have to be some grand reveal…"

"But that's the fucking problem you annoying little twit! Have you ever heard shitty hair talk about his mark? He'll probably want all that fucking sappy bullshit and I'm not going to be able to give it to him. Argh! This is fucking ridiculous. I'm out." Katsuki hissed, abruptly standing from his chair.

Midoriya, however, had full cowl activated instantly. He moved in front of the blonde and sat him back down with a scolding mother hen look. "Don't you dare do that Kacchan. Take it from someone who knows; the worst thing you could possibly do to Kirishima is give him the impression that he's unwanted. Do you want him to hurt?"

Bakugo literally bit his tongue to stay silent, turning his hate-filled glare down to his coffee. No. He didn't want to hurt Kirishima, but that is exactly what his whole issue with being soulmates was. He was a bully who hurt people that didn't deserve it, like Izuku. Kirishima had to like him for the bastard he was, or at least see past it before his judgment was clouded with soulmate fantasies.

"So, you aren't romantic," Midoriya continued, settling back down across from the still seething blonde. "But you have been trying the flirting tactics I wrote out for you, right? Does he not seem receptive to them or is it that he just doesn't notice?"

"Both," Katsuki admitted, the sound of his insecurities pounding in his ears. Of course, it had to be Midoriya that got to hear about them.

"But you've never actually tried anything up front, right? You've been dropping hints… Maybe Kirishima needs something truer to your nature to understand… you know, something direct. Besides, if you still haven't told him that you're soulmates he might be ignoring any advances he does notice because of that. He's too nice to lead you on and potentially break your heart when he thinks there's someone out there with his soul mark."

Bakugo nodded stiffly in agreement, his hands dangerously close to shattering the mug they held. He'd noticed immediately when Midoriya had his heart broken. After years of being the cause of Izuku's unhappiness, he knew the varying degrees and whatever had set him off before they got their internship numbers was bad. Like 15 on a scale of 1-10.

Then he'd noticed how Todoroki would follow Deku around like a lost puppy, only to be blocked by Uraraka whenever he got to close. So, he'd done what any reasonable ex-bully would do: stole Deku's phone and held it out of his reach as he read through some of his messages from the dual user.

Of course, Deku had sobbed and broken down about the whole ordeal. This time though, Bakugo had sat through it with grunts and insults that were borderline caring. When the fit was over, he'd offered a deal. He'd come up with a plan that would help Midoriya sort through shit with Todoroki if the teen would help him win over Kirishima.

"Okay… well romance isn't that hard! And you're good at everything you do so it will probably end up being a breeze. But… umm… I just want you to remember that he might reject anything forward from you if he's holding out for his soulmate and that doesn't mean he doesn't like you back, okay? I'll write out some stuff you could build up to and then give it to you tomorrow?"

Bakugo felt his entire internal network of pride start to collapse. He was taking dating advice from the kid he'd always considered to be a worthless Deku. Karma really was a bitch. Still, he grit out an agreement that sounded more like he was signing his life away.

"Oh! And you still haven't told me about what happened with Todoroki… Was he… am I still… does he… you're s-ure he d-doesn't want someone else?" Midoriya asked, his voice choking towards the end.

"Don't you fucking start with that crying shit in here, Deku. He said he loved you before finding out you were his soulmate and fucked it up. Wasn't interested in whoever sent him those letters to begin with. Happy now?" Bakugo answered. He tried to keep his voice cold, but it wavered slightly, maybe he wasn't as much of a hardass as he thought.

"But, Kacchan! What if he gets to know me and it's like what happened with us when we were kids all over again? What if he decides I'm not worth it after everything? I know you didn't believe me at first but… if he finds out I used to be… uhh..."

"Quirkless." Katsuki finished gruffly, eyeing Midoriya with an intense unreadable stare.

"Yeah…" Izuku agreed, his head hanging low in shame. "And one day when I do the same thing All Might did, I'll be quirkless once more… I'll go back to being a Deku and he'll…"

"Quit your fucking sniffling, Deku. You're changing what that nickname fucking means, right? Plus, who gives a shit if you started out weak; it's where you finish that fucking matters. Besides, I'll beat his ass if he leaves you a second time. I'm not dealing with this dramatic soap opera again." Bakugo assured, his demeanor becoming confident and almost protective.

"Kacchan…" Midoriya whispered, his eyes shining with awe and gratefulness.

"Fuck off. Shitty hair won't shut up about your mopey ass attitude and I at least care a little bit about his fucking stupid feelings." Bakugo snapped, but his cheeks gave him away; he cared a lot about making Kirishima happy, and he was coming around for Midoriya slowly.

Izuku simply nodded, wiping his happy tears from his eyes furiously.

* * *

 **Bakugo [Saturday; 5:33 PM]:** You're fucking late. I'm not going to wait around forever for your dumb ass to get here.

"HEY! Baku-bro!" Kirishima called, smiling happily as he jogged over. His phone dinged almost as soon as he stopped, but it only made his grin grow when he read it. "You said 5:30! I'm on time!"

At first, Bakugo didn't answer. He was too taken aback by Eijiro's appearance. His usually spiked locks were down and soft looking, framing his bright face. Katsuki thought it made him look beautiful.

"What is it?" Kirishima asked, his cheeks heating up from how the blonde was looking at him. It made him a little self-conscious but flattered at the same time.

"You're three minutes late, shitty hair," Katsuki grunted, shoving his hands into his pockets and turning to start walking into the theater. He felt the little folded list Midoriya had given him stabbing into his fingers and stopped short, Kirishima almost running into him it happened so suddenly. "G-go pick out some seats… I'll be right in."

The redhead looked confused but nodded and headed to the screening room, taking his time to greet the ticket checker that stood bored at the entrance. The sight made Bakugo's heart flutter. When he handed over his ticket, he knew he'd probably glare without bothering to offer a word, but not his soulmate. No, Kirishima went out of his way to be friendly to everyone. He deserved better.

As soon as the redhead walked out of sight, he pulled out the paper, running his eyes over it for the umpteenth time. He could memorize whole passages of books, complete complex mathematical physics equations in his head while mid fight and flying through the air, but this stupid, simple, romantic gestures list just wouldn't stick.

Bakugo stomped up to the concession stand next, eyeing the different candies that were available. "Damn overpriced shit…" he grumbled, pointing out a few things to the cashier. He then took his time finding Kirishima, his stomach twisting with nerves when he found that he had chosen seats away from everyone else.

His hands almost trembled with nervousness when he held out the treats, even more so when the redhead flashed his brilliant smile, a small blush tinting his cheeks again.

"You got my favorite? Red Hots… thanks, man!" Kirishima cooed. As he reached out to take the snack, his fingers lightly brushed Bakugo's, making his face become even darker red. He retracted his hand quickly, trying to make it look like he was preoccupied with opening the box. "So, uh… what movie are we seeing again? You said it was something cool?"

Katsuki sat down heavily, his fingers still tingling from where Kirishima had touched him. His heart was beating so loudly in his ears he almost missed what the redhead had said. Eventually, it managed to work its way through the fog.

"Uh… yeah, it's a scary movie…"

"What?! You know I'm a sucker for jump scares! I'm probably going to scream and make an ass out of myself. It's going to be so unmanly" Kirishima whined, brushing some of his hair out of his face. His big red eyes looked at Bakugo like a frightened puppy.

"Ahh shut it shitty hair. I'm here so nothing is going to get to you. I uh… I'll even let you hold my hand if you get too scared… if you fucking want to anyway…" he responded, the words almost forced through his rapidly closing throat.

He kept replaying the list in his mind, trying to follow it to a T; some of the suggestions were showing affection through small gestures like buying his favorite snacks and offering to help him whenever possible. Before Kirishima could get over his own shock and answer though, the lights dimmed, signaling for everyone to settle down for the show.

For the first hour, no matter how Kirishima jumped, he kept his hands planted firmly in his own lap. Bakugo could hardly focus on the screen he was so disappointed. He loved scary movies, but the reason he'd picked this one was because Midoriya had said it would be the perfect situation to elicit touching aside from a chick flick.

But he kept his arm on the armrest anyway, hoping for the next scare to make his little plan work. Eventually, he got fed up with Kirishima's nervous squirming from the foreshadowing music and just went for it, grabbing one of his trembling hands.

He was half expecting the redhead to jerk away, or at least tense from the contact, but to his intense happiness, Kirishima did neither. He gripped his Nitro covered palm with his own and even pulled it closer to him so that he could poorly hide behind it.

Deciding that it was a good sign, Bakugo pushed up the armrest and shifted, pulling his hand from Eijiro's death grip so that he could wrap it around his shoulders. He almost felt his heart explode when the redhead leaned into his chest.

"Is this okay with you…" he whispered into his ear, taking a moment to breathe in his strawberries and cream scent. He idly wondered how he'd never noticed the sweet smell before and was almost desperate to rub his nose into it.

Eijiro turned to look at him though, his eyes shining in appreciation but also conflict. He bit his lip with his sharp teeth, nearly breaking the soft skin. "Can we go? I know the movie isn't over but, we need to talk, Katsuki…" he finally asked, his usually happy face falling into sadness.

Bakugo felt dread start to build in his chest, spreading quickly to further pain him. He couldn't even bring himself to speak, so he just nodded. Whatever Kirishima wanted to say must be bad because the redhead never used his first name and he'd never looked so upset before.

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 **Lol okay ya'll, sorry that I haven't updated on time. I've been sick :(**

 **Anyways! Please, tell me what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Gosh, ya'll! Again, you've shown me such wonderful support on this story (and my other BNHA stories). Thank you so very much!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own BNHA**

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When They Were Soulmates

Chapter 8

When Todoroki had unleashed his pent-up anger and frustration on Midoriya, it had ultimately hurt him so deeply that their soul marks had nearly split in two. The magnitude of defeat and worthlessness that Izuku felt had been so great that it had over loaded Shoto's mark, burning its ability to transfer what Midoriya was feeling to him.

But Deku's mark was not affected in the same way. It had cracked open just at Shoto's had, but he could still feel the others pain and anguish, though it was a weaker sensation than it had been prior to the incident.

Midoriya had made the decision not to tell Todoroki the truth after their conversation in the hospital, fully believing that the boy was only trying to make amends because he was guilty, not because he actually cared for him as a person.

With Bakugo's assistance coming up with a plan, he'd written love letters to see how easily swayed Todoroki was. He'd argued with Katsuki about how cruel it was to play on Todoroki's weakness and isolation in such a way but ultimately decided that he'd go along with the plan.

The final part was for him to have Bakugo get the truth from Shoto, and then report back. That had gone smoothly and made Midoriya so happy that it had started healing the pathway from him to his soulmates mark.

But before he could send another letter with a time and place to meet—to finally come clean about everything, Katsuki had taken Kirishima on a date and it had ended badly. The redhead had done exactly what Izuku had thought he would: rejected Bakugo on the grounds that he was holding out for his soulmate.

The blonde had two options at that point; he could either come clean and show Kirishima their shared marks or blow his top. In classic Bakugo style, he'd done the latter, successfully making his crush cry and run off.

It had been weeks since that incident, and the two couldn't even look at each other. Midoriya knew it was irrational to compare his and Todoroki's relationship with that of Bakugo's and Kirishima's, but his over-thinking prone mind had anyway.

He'd wondered if Shoto would be really angry and hurt from having his commitment to their potential relationship questioned and tested. Would he say cruel things again and decide that Midoriya wasn't worth it?

Izuku didn't want to find out, his lack of confidence holding him back from doing much more than occasional text conversations and sparing sessions with Todoroki. But tonight he had half a mind to throw caution to the wind, stomp over to the Todoroki residence, and insist that Endeavor stop whatever it was he was doing to his son that made his soul mark throb so intensely.

His mother was working yet another night shift, so he didn't muffle his pain-filled hisses or curb his nervous shuffling. Todoroki had yet to answer his text and it drove him almost mad knowing that the teen was in pain and he wasn't there to help.

Midoriya decided to channel some of his anxiety into cooking, whipping up way more food than one person could hope to eat alone. All at once, his side thrummed painfully once more with an almost 'come, help' feeling, and he darted over to the door, throwing it open with the intent of using One For All to leap across town.

To his surprise, Shoto was sitting right outside his apartment, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He looked like he'd been through more 'training' but no worse than usual, which made Midoriya sick to think about.

"Todoroki…?" Izuku asked, crouching down beside him. The boy had jumped initially, but then sat still while his face paled in shame; he'd probably been out here for a few minutes at least, desperately trying to work up the courage to knock.

"I… Can I come in, Midoriya? Just… just for tonight, I promise…" Todoroki asked, his voice hoarse from running all the way over.

Izuku nodded silently as he wrapped his arms around the teen. He was drenched in sweat, but his skin was cold. "Of course you can. Come on, I need to make sure you're not too badly injured." He responded, lifting the teen with ease and helping him to the bathroom.

* * *

Midoriya, though suspicious, eventually agreed to let Shoto clean himself up after he'd given him literally anything he might need, shutting the bathroom door gently with the intent of continuing to cook dinner.

As he waited, stirring one of the pots without really paying attention to it, he wondered if his soulmate status had given him some cosmic warning about needing enough food for two. It was almost finished when Shoto stepped around the corner.

Despite the situation, Izuku couldn't help but attempt to suppress a giggle at the sight. He'd come a long way with all the training All Might had put him through, but Todoroki was simply taller and bigger than he was. The shirt that he'd given him to wear while he washed his dirty one was a little too short; at least his oversized sweatpants fit.

Shoto blushed heavily, knowing exactly why the smaller hero was laughing at him; if he looked even half as silly as he felt, he couldn't blame him. He almost sighed in relief when Midoriya left and came back with one of his oversized hoodies, offering it to him instead of the shirt that showed off a few inches of his toned stomach.

"I've almost finished our food…" Izuku explained, turning back to the stove diligently. "Just sit and relax, okay?"

Todoroki stood awkwardly for a few more seconds before gingerly sitting in one of the kitchen chairs, watching with longing and shame as Midoriya cooked for them—for him. He knew he shouldn't have come and burdened the teen with his problems again, but after feeling the slightest sensation from his soul mark he was desperate for more.

"Stop, Shoto," Deku ordered firmly, his back tensing slightly as he looked over his shoulder.

Todoroki blinked a few times, looking at his leg that had been bouncing nervously beneath the table. It seemed out of character for Midoriya to get onto him for something like that, especially when he seemed to be in a decent mood just moments before.

That made him even more upset with himself, his head dropping low with the thought that he'd caused Midoriya to be upset. _"He was probably having a nice night in when I just showed up at his door expecting him to drop everything for me."_

While Todoroki silently berated himself, Izuku brought over their food and set it out, sighing slightly. He reached his hand out and gripped Shoto's lightly, using his thumb to rub it in a soothing manor.

The dual user's body immediately relaxed, his eyelids fluttering closed in relief. He couldn't believe how much better he felt just from holding the boy's hand.

"Stop, Shoto." Izuku repeated, "Stop beating yourself up for coming here when you needed help… It's okay."

Todoroki almost whined when the teen let go and gestured to the food, urging him to eat. But he did as Midoriya instructed, deciding that he didn't want to ask for more than he already was.

* * *

Midoriya sat on his bed with Todoroki after they'd finished dinner and watched yet another Disney movie. He could feel his mark burning continuously, though it wasn't really a painful feeling as much as discomfort.

Deku side glanced at the teen, noticing how his hands were clasped tightly in his lap as he sat rigidly. He knew that Todoroki was desperate for comfort and love but was doing his absolute best to keep those desires in check.

Midoriya chewed on his bottom lip nervously, trying to build up the courage to take whatever risk there was in opening himself up to Todoroki again. With one more deep breath, he made up his mind.

"Shoto…" Izuku called softly, reaching up to take his chin in his hand. He saw the teen swallow thickly and turn his eyes away. His own stomach churned in nervousness, the boys harsh and hurtful words rolling around in his mind. He was terrified of being rejected again, even though this time he knew Shoto loved him back.

Hesitantly, he scooted closer, leaning forward until he could gently kiss the edge of Todoroki's tensed jaw. It was feather light, but his lips tingled all the same, motivating him to do it again. He did it once, twice, three more times, each time moving closer to his soulmates mouth.

Midoriya started to lose hope that Shoto would reciprocate the affection but forced himself to try once more. As he leaned forward again, the dual user let out a heavy, ice laced breath and turned, their lips meeting for the very first time in a deep, slow, kiss.

Izuku smiled shyly and draped his arms over the teen's shoulders, getting lost in the sensation when Todoroki wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling their bodies flush against each other. Their embrace continued, becoming more passionate with each passing second.

Shoto hesitantly brushed his tongue across Midoriya's lips, slightly moaning when the boy opened his mouth and let him inside. His chest fluttered, of course someone as sweet as Izuku would taste just like sugar itself.

Deku felt his body heating up and leaned back, pulling Shoto with him until the boy hovered over him, resting solidly between his legs. Todoroki then retreated slightly, allowing them both to pant for air and stare into each other's eyes.

"Do you want this… I mean me… Do… do you want me? Even after what I said..." Todoroki breathed, already tensing his muscles to pull away and leave. He was so worried that he'd snap at Midoriya again or fill his happy life with the misery of being around a child of Endeavor. No one deserved that, but especially not his sunshine.

Izuku bit his lip. He did want Shoto and had forgiven him for what had happened, but he couldn't help but worry about what could go wrong when his secrets came to light. Would the teen toss him aside? Would he understand? He wanted to know why Todoroki had ever said such cruel things to him in the first place to gauge the likelihood of it happening again.

"I do… But I need to know why you did it. Please, tell me…"

"Because I'd thought that maybe you were my soulmate long before the sports festival… It was me who put all those notes in the desks in the hopes that it would draw out the truth but when I got on to you for distracting people in the locker room… you… you didn't have the mark so…" Shoto trailed off, wishing that he could just say what he needed to.

"So, what? Why would that matter?" Midoriya pushed, his eyes piercing into Todoroki with need and suffering.

"I… My mom told me that it was special… that it meant someone out in the world loved me unconditionally like she did… but after she poured the water on me I didn't believe in that anymore, even though I knew it wasn't her fault. Then you came along and were always so kind…. You'd just permanently damaged your body and given up your chance at winning the Sports Festival for me… and when you brought up soulmates, I couldn't help but feel like life was punishing me again…" he explained, taking a calming breath before continuing.

"You were the only person who'd treated me like I mattered as more than just a tool or someone who was powerful… And I thought you were bound to someone else and would eventually leave just like my mom did… I couldn't handle it so I lashed out… If I'd known… I swear, I'd never say those things to you… I didn't even mean them when they came out… I just wanted to make someone hurt as much as I did…"

Midoriya sniffled, wiping his eyes as Shoto's words finally pushed him over the edge and he'd started crying.

Todoroki felt even worse for making him cry. He knew how selfish he sounded, but it was the truth, and Midoriya deserved to know it. As he fought with himself on whether or not he should try to comfort him, he realized that Midoriya had come to his aid more than once since then.

"What?" Midoriya asked, having seen the confused frown grow on Shoto's face.

"It's… You came to my house twice after my father had been too rough during training… Not that I'm not grateful or happy that you did it's just… I don't understand…" Todoroki responded, nearly panicking at how his first sentence had sounded.

Midoriya's face blushed slightly, but he rubbed his eyes one last time before answering.

"I felt it… everything… it's been hurting for weeks now. Ever since the day Ochaco accidentally let it slip that we were soulmates, the light irritation hasn't stopped, not even for a second. I'd hoped that it would just take a little separation so I wouldn't bother you anymore, but I guess…" Izuku trailed off quietly.

"Oh…" Todoroki responded, his face becoming even more downcast. "…It's okay, I understand. I'm sorry for making you feel that this long…"

Izuku removed his hands from Shoto's shoulders and slid them down to his chest, pushing up slightly. He immediately felt his mark sting with Todoroki's sadness and hopelessness. "I want you to take off the hoodie…" he explained, using the newly created space between them to slip off his own shirt.

The dual user flushed heavily, his face mimicking Izuku's. He really hadn't expected that but he couldn't deny that he wanted the teen badly. So, he nodded and sat back on his heels, pulling the soft jacket over his head.

Todoroki set the hoodie aside just in time to see Midoriya covering his blaringly red face with his hands, mumbling about how attractive he was. He leaned down again, despite how embarrassed and inexperienced he felt.

"What… What do you want me to do now Izuku?" he asked.

Midoriya's initially confident voice started to crack with his own nervousness. "I… Uhmm… k-kiss me again?"

Shoto lowered down to his elbows, resting his pelvis against Midoriya gently. He knew if he got any lower to kiss his soulmate, then their bare chests would touch and that thought made his stomach churn with desire. The way he fit perfectly between Izuku's legs was already arousing enough.

Izuku peaked up through his fingers, having noticed Todoroki's hesitation. _"Does he not want to? No… that's not it… I've never seen him so… flustered? Maybe if I just…"_

Midoriya reached up and tangled his hand in Shoto's hair, leading him down to his waiting lips, the sensation becoming even more electrified when their soul marks touched. Todoroki turned his head, gasping, burying his face in Izuku's neck.

He couldn't stop shuddering; a rapid inflow of shy, yet incredible love wracking his body with relief and happiness he didn't think was possible. Midoriya was kissing at his head, rubbing his tensed back muscles and trembling beneath him.

Izuku hiccupped and let his eyes start to water again, "You… you really do care about me?" he asked, hoping that it wasn't just his mind playing tricks on him.

Todoroki nodded quickly and shifted out of Izuku's neck, attacking his lips again in a messy, desperate kiss, his closed eyes burning as tears slipped out. But his soulmate reciprocated just as intensely, wrapping his legs around him and moaning into his mouth with abandon.

The One For All user broke the kiss when he felt his soul mark starting to heat up again and watched in awe as both his and Todoroki's melted back together, though they still had the original little crack down the center. Izuku let out a choked laugh and leaned up, kissing his Shoto sweetly.

"I… I love you Shoto…" he whispered, closing his eyes just in case his feelings were rejected again. Even if he could feel the truth coming from their soul mark connection, it would take time to fully heal. But he knew it would be okay now.

Todoroki kissed the boys closed eyelids, placing his hand over Izuku's mark and pressing firmly, "and I love you, Izuku."

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 **Thanks ya'll! There's going to be one more chapter and then an epilogue of sorts (so, I guess technically two chapters... Gotta fix shit with Bakugo as usual... lol)**

 **Please, me what you think! Follow/Favorite/Review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you all for reading this far, I hope you continue to enjoy** **This is the last chapter before my epilogue!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own MHA**

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When They Were Soulmates

Chapter 9

Inko came home the next morning to find Todoroki and her son curled up together in bed, holding each other like lifelines. She let them sleep while she prepared breakfast, but the whole time her mom senses were tingling with different feelings.

Firstly, how Izuku thought he could hide having found his soulmate from her was hilarious. She'd seen the sports festival and noticed the small broken heart on Shoto's left side during their fight right away, easily matching it to her baby's.

But, Izuku was a growing boy, quickly becoming a man, so she'd let him sort through whatever had been bothering him up until this point even though most nights she just wanted to scoop him up in a hug like she used to when he was little. It made her happy to know that the two had worked things out on their own.

As she scurried around to make herself busy though, her other sense was going haywire with worry. The second thing she'd noticed after having a mini-party over her son's happiness, was that Shoto's unclothed chest was littered with bruises and mild burns.

Being Izuku's mother, she was well aware of the dangers and injuries that went along with their chosen profession, but those didn't look like injuries sustained during normal UA training, and even if they had been, Todoroki would have received medical care from Recovery Girl like everyone else.

"Mrs. Midoriya… I apologize for the intrusion…" Shoto called, startling the woman from her worried cooking.

"Oh! Todoroki… I didn't mean to wake you; my Izuku can sleep through just about anything." She responded sweetly. "Don't you worry about being here, you are always welcome."

The teen nodded and glanced around almost nervously, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Inko watched his behavior carefully, taking in his rigid posture and blank expression. Without wasting another minute, she walked over and pulled him into a warm hug, holding him tightly even though he tensed and stayed very still.

After a few moments, she pulled back and reached up to hold his cheeks in her tiny hands. "I mean that, sweet child. You are **always** welcome here." With that, she turned away and went back to stirring the pot she'd been nursing. "You can go and wake up Izuku though! Breakfast is almost ready."

Todoroki stood dumbfounded for a little while before silently turning and nearly tripping over himself. He'd sometimes wondered where his soulmates caring disposition came from, but he definitely knew now. Only his own mother and Izuku had ever shown him kindness like that.

He shook Deku gently, his face still beat red in embarrassment. "Your moms here…" he whispered when the boy groaned for more sleep.

In an instant, the teen was up and flailing around. "She didn't try to show you baby pictures did she?" he asked in a panic, shaking Shoto as he finally untangled himself from the blankets. "I swear the All Might costume was her doing!"

Todoroki couldn't help his grin as he shook his head, inwardly crossing his fingers for that to come up later. Baby Izuku in an All Might onesie would probably be the pinnacle of his life. Midoriya however, looked even more mortified, realizing he'd just told his soulmate something he didn't know.

"Let's go!" he insisted after throwing on a shirt, dragging Shoto out of his room and to the kitchen.

* * *

Hours and several scrapbooks later, Izuku sat with Todoroki on his bed once again, his face a permanent shade of red. Shoto didn't think he'd ever been happier than sitting with Inko and his soulmate, listening to the two Midoriya's talk about everything.

He didn't always know what to add in, and often times felt nervous that he wasn't doing well enough, but Izuku would give him small touches and looks to let him know everything was fine, and Inko seemed to pick up on how her son behaved and encouraged him too.

It was surreal to be in a house —a home— where just being yourself was praised. But he knew it would come crashing down as soon as he left to go back to living with Endeavor, after all, he couldn't stay hiding with Midoriya forever.

Unfortunately, he'd neglected to answer one too many calls from his father, and soon heard an eerie pounding on the front door. His whole body stiffened in fear and anger as his head snapped towards the sound. Izuku slipped his hand under Todoroki's shirt and planted it firmly on his soul mark, but even that only dulled the intenseness of his panic.

"Shh…" Midoriya cooed, "It's okay, Shoto. You're safe here and so are we… He's not going to hurt any of us."

Todoroki nodded, but got up anyway, trailing towards the hallway when he heard Inko moving to answer the insistent knocking. He held Izuku's hand for more comfort, schooling his face and body language so that his father wouldn't know how much he truly got to him.

Inko was right in the middle of a greeting when his father's angry blue eyes landed on him. "Shoto!" he boomed, making the smaller woman jump slightly. "You will come home this instant."

"Yes, sir." The dual user grit out, giving Midoriya's hand a slight squeeze to let him know it was going to be okay.

The bruises, the tense politeness, the anxiety over not being sure how to interact with her and Izuku. It all made perfect sense as Inko stood in the doorway between Shoto and his father. All it took was one look at her son's worried face for her to make up her mind.

"Mr. Endeavor… Would you kindly step away from my door and leave?" she asked, smiling up at him.

"As soon as Shoto picks up his pace we will be gone." He responded, his voice gruff and irritated.

The youngest Todoroki was almost to the door when she stepped in front of him and held out her arm to block his path, shocking them both but not her son. "Izuku baby, please take Shoto back to your room."

Deku hesitated for a moment, worried about leaving his mother alone with someone he knew was so violent towards anyone he thought he could get away with, but did as she asked, pulling Todoroki by his arm until they were around the corner.

Shoto looked like he might have a heart attack, his heterochromatic eyes wide and frantic, but Izuku put a finger to his lips and silently hushed him, waiting just out of sight so that they could intervene if necessary.

"What's the meaning of this?" Enji raged, his flames climbing higher on his body.

"Shoto is going to stay with us for a bit longer," Inko replied firmly.

"Like hell he is! He is my prize creation and I won't have his training stalled because he's too busy being caught up in this soulmate nonsense! Shoto will come home this instant or I'll-"

"You'll what?" Mrs. Midoriya interjected, puffing her small plump body up as much as possible. "You'll burn my apartment to the ground? Beat me? Sue me? Well, I'll tell you, Mr. Endeavor. I have insurance on my home. You try and touch me and my son will no doubt take you down before your fist even raised halfway to your head. Not to mention that you're a Pro Hero! How would fans take it if they heard you beat up single mother like me? I'm sure they'd love to hear how you 'train' your son too. So, sue away and I'll tell the courts exactly why I refused to let Shoto leave with you."

The apartment went silent for a few moments before Inko spoke up again. "Nothing? Well then, good day, Mr. Endeavor."

Izuku was bounding around the corner right after the door shut, skidding to a halt on his knees as his mother leaned against the door and sank. The hugged tightly, both blubbering messes with Shoto standing dumbfounded once again at the end of the hall.

No one had ever spoken to his father like that and gotten away with it; Todoroki didn't think anyone but All Might himself could. But Inko had protected him and sat on the ground with Izuku holding out their arms for him to join the awkward yet love-filled embrace.

Every time something happened with them he thought he couldn't be happier and was subsequently proved wrong. He joined them with relief.

* * *

The following Monday, Shoto and Izuku snuck into the Todoroki household early to get his uniform and books before heading off to school together. Things had never been better for him as he held Midoriya's hand through the halls and into their classroom, but just as they parted for their seats, he became aware of how Bakugo looked at them.

There were a range of emotions on the blondes usually scowling face, but the one he noticed the most was jealousy. He didn't understand at all, but even more than that, he could feel the connection between him and Izuku start to fill with apprehension and anxiety.

The blonde and him had a silent conversation through looks that Todoroki wasn't privy to, making his chest throb with discomfort. He decided to let it go for a while, trusting his soulmate with whatever it was that was going on between them.

* * *

Midoriya could feel Todoroki's unease throughout the day and became increasingly guilty, which only served to fuel his soulmates unrest. After the final bell rang he went directly to him even as Bakugo quickly packed and left. He knew that he needed to talk to the blonde, but right then his soulmate needed him more.

"Shoto…" he called, wanting to wince at the tense smile he was greeted with.

"Izuku, didn't you tell me at lunch you had some things to work out with Bakugo? He has already left…" Todoroki answered blandly.

"Well, I do need to talk to him, but I promise I'll explain everything tonight, okay? He's just going through something right now and I told him I'd help…" Midoriya explained, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

Shoto blinked a couple of times, but he could feel that Izuku wasn't lying to him, at least not about that part. There was definitely something he wasn't telling him though. He leaned down to kiss his cheek and nodded, stating that he'd wait for him at the library to head back home.

Midoriya grinned and bounced in his arms, feeling excited to spend more time with Shoto even if it was to talk about the whole love letter ordeal. "Okay! Great! I've got to go catch up with him before he gets too far away."

With that, Izuku bolted from the room, his legs moving as fast as they could without the help of One For All. It was moments like these that he really wished they could use their powers outside of class, but those months of training weren't for nothing. He found Bakugo a block away from campus.

"Kacchan! Wait! We need to talk about this…" Izuku shouted, stepping directly into the blonde's path despite how irritated he seemed.

"I don't give a fuck" Bakugo snapped, pushing past Midoriya so that he could keep marching to the train.

"Yes, you do, Kacchan!" Izuku shot back, grabbing his shoulders and digging his heels down into the sidewalk to stop him. "Just talk to me!"

Bakugo shuddered in anger, his hands smoking in preparation for an explosion. He wanted to turn around and attack Midoriya with every ounce of Nitro his body could produce, to pound him into the ground like the little bug he always told him he was.

But he hunched forward instead, diverting all the anger he was feeling to keeping himself from breaking down. Seeing Deku and Todoroki walk into class with their hands together had hit him like a hard punch to the gut. It was just one of the things he'd wanted to do with Kirishima.

Part of Katsuki was happy for his childhood friend, but his more natural side was jealous that Midoriya was happy when he had failed so badly with his own soulmate.

"There's nothing to fucking talk about. You got that icy hot bastard as your boyfriend now so our deal is through." He ground out, keeping his eyes firmly on the ground.

"No. You and I were going to help each other remember? You helped me with Todoroki and so now I'm going to help y-"

"I don't fucking need your help!" Bakugo hissed, turning and sending his large fist straight into Midoriya's cheek. He picked Izuku back up by his collar, giving him a sturdy shake. "Keep your fucking nose out of my business!"

Deku hissed in pain, but glared back at him, refusing to back down. "And what about Kirishima? The longer you wait the worse it's going to be for him when he finds out you're his soulmate! He's going to think you didn't want him!"

"You know that's not fucking true, Deku!" Bakugo shouted back, lifting him higher so that his toes struggled to reach the ground. "I asked that shitty-haired fuck out plenty of times and-"

"And he wanted to wait for his soulmate! Which. Is. YOU." Midoriya hissed, patiently allowing Bakugo's anger to fizzle out or explode fully. He knew that this wasn't truly directed at him, but rather misdirected; Katsuki was angry at himself.

"WHAT?"

Both boys stopped arguing and turned to the source of the most recent shout, finding Kirishima staring at them with his mouth hanging open.

Bakugo dropped Midoriya instantly, barely noticing as he tumbled back to his ass. His cheeks dusted pink with embarrassment and panic, but his usually quick tongue fell silent, twisted and heavy like lead. He straightened himself and tightened his hold on his backpack before turning to retreat.

"Katsuki?" Kirishima called, his voice cracking. But the blonde hunched his shoulders and kept walking away, albite a little more quickly.

Midoriya picked himself up off the ground and rubbed his bruising cheek tenderly, waiting for the inevitable that soon came.

"You knew?" Eijiro asked, stepping towards him with tears in his eyes.

Midoriya nodded and looked down guiltily. "We've been fri—… We've known each other since we were children so I was there when he first got the mark."

"I saw how you two looked at each other this morning and decided to follow you… All those times we hung out… He's just so manly so I fell for him, you know?" the redhead explained, shaking as he tried to keep himself from crying.

Deku nodded awkwardly, not exactly seeing the appeal in any of Bakugo's behavior but accepting that people had different tastes. It seemed to be enough for Kirishima though, who kept talking.

"I… I heard everything you two were talking about… That night at the movies, I told him that I'd started to really like him, but I felt it was cheating since I had a soulmate waiting for me. If it was him all along, why didn't he just tell me?"

Izuku reached out and put his hand on Eijiro's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. "It's not my place to answer that. I can tell you that he loves you though, Kirishima. Kacchan's just… well… he's always been stubborn like this."

Kirishima sniffed and nodded. His soul mark had hurt the night he and Bakugo had stopped talking and stung since then, but it was always such a muddled feeling that he couldn't exactly pinpoint what emotion it was.

"Thank you, Midoriya." He finally mumbled, "You know, for being so manly and at least trying to get him to come clean with me… I guess I should go after him, right?"

Izuku nodded and sent him a sad, understanding smile. "I wish you luck! I've got to get back to my own soulmate though, he's probably worried about me…"

Eijiro chuckled lightly, eyeing the red mark on the smaller teens face. "Todoroki huh… I'm happy for you, bro! We should go on a double date if I can get Katsuki to agree!"

Midoriya snorted and grinned, waving as he headed back to UA.

* * *

Midoriya wanted to giggle as Todoroki snuck him through his house and to his room, but he knew the teen was nervous about being caught, even if Endeavor wasn't home. Still, he couldn't help be a little excited that they were there to pick up some stuff so that he could more easily move in with him.

"You're ridiculous…" Shoto whispered, smiling himself when they finally reached his room. He pulled Izuku into a sweet kiss and nipped at his bottom lip, letting himself get lost in his loves presence for a few moments.

"Shoto," Midoriya started, feeling the intense happiness in his chest get disrupted by his own anxiety. "There's… there's something I need to tell you…"

Todoroki's stomach dropped some, but he led Izuku to his bed and pulled him into his lap, rubbing his sides and back gently. Worry and guilt were pouring through his mark from Izuku, and he figured that he was sending plenty of fear and nervousness back.

Midoriya ran his hands over Shoto's chest, easily feeling the differences in temperature with how upset he was. His heterochromatic eyes were staring straight at his eventual lover's ribs, only showing a fraction of the emotions he was experiencing.

But the words were caught in Izuku's throat, and he couldn't bring himself to say anything more. Instead, he reached into his hoodie pouch a pulled out a crumpled envelope, holding it between them and closing his eyes when Shoto reached to take it.

His heart thrummed painfully in his chest when the paper crinkled and the room went silent as Todoroki read the last letter to himself, though he knew exactly what it said.

' _I'm sorry for tricking you, but I felt there was no other way. All I can do is beg your forgiveness and plead with you to stay. There is still so much about me that you don't know, but I promise to spend a lifetime telling you if you chose not to go. You're my Soulmate Shoto and I love you dearly, I just needed to know what would happen if you had someone else, so I could see clearly.'_

Midoriya could feel the teen becoming more rigid beneath him and kept himself from shuddering at the thought of being pushed off and told to leave. Tears had already begun leaking from his tightly shut eyes, but he didn't try to do anything. He'd resolved himself to accept whatever Todoroki did no matter how badly it hurt.

"You were the one that wrote them and Bakugo put them in my stuff since no one would suspect him helping you…" Todoroki breathed, his voice blank.

Midoriya nodded and lowered his head in shame. He felt terrible for tricking him in such a cruel way when he knew how emotionally damaged Todoroki was even before he'd learned they were soulmates. Now it just seemed even more deviant.

"Izuku…I love you so much!" Shoto gasped out, flipping them over and attacking the boy's lips desperately.

Deku whimpered into the kiss and slung his arms and legs around his soulmate, relief and happiness swelling within him. They pulled back for air and stared at each other.

"You… You aren't mad at me?" Izuku asked hesitantly, searching Todoroki's eyes for residual anger.

Shoto shook his head and pecked at the boy's lips over and over, smiling the whole time. "No… Those letters… I should have known no one else would have been able to know me that well. It was like whoever wrote them was peering into my soul… like only a soulmate could…"

Midoriya sighed in contentment, grateful that his life had changed so much from when he was four and broken-hearted. He held Shoto close and kissed him back with every ounce of love his small yet strong body had to give.

Even if heartbreak had started their connection, they'd never feel it again.

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 **Hehe! Thanks you guys… This has been a wild, wild ride so far. One chapter left… and Epilogue** **Please, tell me what you thought!**


	10. Chapter 10

**OMG guys! Like I'm gushing from the support and love everyone has given me for this story… like for real! Thank you so, so, so much!**

 **I'm thinking of writing a sister story to this one that follows Bakugo and Kirishima through their turbulent love life in discovering that they're also soulmates… What do you think? Yes? No?**

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When They Were Soulmates

Chapter 10: Epilogue

When Izuku was sixteen, he moved into the dorms that UA had created. He lived next to Shoto, and he couldn't have been happier despite the calamities that had summed up their first year in the Hero Academia.

He trained hard, intent on mastering his powerful quirk so that he could keep up with his soulmate and eventually be strong enough to protect him and the world without worry. He knew that with All Might permanently retired, they would have a long road ahead of them.

But, despite his nervous nature. He wasn't as worried as he had been in the past. Todoroki was there to pull him from his anxiety whenever it overwhelmed him with doubt and depression. The dual user would tell him that heroes always save the day with a smile on their face, and that no matter what, Izuku was his personal hero.

It was also around this time, that Izuku and Bakugo's turbulent friendship became more solidified, Kirishima having a great deal to do with the sudden change. The redhead had followed Bakugo after eavesdropping on his and Midoriya's conversation and confronted him.

Though Katsuki resisted at first, spending weeks brooding and insisting he was fine on his own, Izuku and Todoroki encouraged them whenever they could, and eventually, the blonde caved, exposing his soul mark to Eijiro.

They ended up going on a double date with Todoroki and Midoriya, which, although a disaster, brought all four closer in the end.

* * *

When Izuku turned eighteen, he graduated from UA alongside the rest of Class 1-A and dived headfirst into the world of Pro Hero's and their villain counterparts. He and Todoroki moved into an apartment together and quickly took over Endeavors Hero Agency, recruiting all of their old classmates as well as students from Class 1-B, Shinso from General Studies, and Hatsume from the Support Course.

Midoriya fought hard, going tooth and nail with every villain that dared to raise its head anywhere in the world, quickly gaining popularity and rising in the Hero ranks. It wasn't always easy though. There were often heated fights between him and his lover that resulted in crying and screaming fits.

Mostly, these arguments centered around one being terrified of losing the other, especially with how reckless Midoriya could get when he selflessly threw himself into battles. But they always made up afterward, holding each other close as their bodies and souls connected in a passion unrivaled by any other couple, soulmates or not.

* * *

When Shoto turned sixteen, he found peace in his life. He'd moved in with Midoriya and the other students at the UA dorms and finally took his advice on turning his father in. The man would be serving quite a few years in prison for how he'd abused his wife and children. Shoto also managed to visit his mother every week, bringing Izuku along and doting on him.

It was also during this time, that his soulmate explained to him why he of all people shared heartbreak. Todoroki was stunned to learn that Izuku had been born quirkless and that he had to deal with that crushing news when he was only four years old, only to have his heart broken again by All Might when he was fourteen.

It had been a tearful night, with Midoriya desperately clinging to Todoroki's chest and begging him not to be disappointed in him—pleading with him not to leave even though one day he'd be quirkless once more. But it was unnecessary; the dual user couldn't have cared less that his soulmate wasn't born with a quirk and promised him that nothing would change the way he felt.

Shoto was happy that All Might had reconsidered, and that he'd helped pull Midoriya out of despair, but that also left him riddled with self-hatred because he'd hurt the boy even more than anyone ever could. He still felt guilty for how he'd treated his soulmate after the Sports Festival, knowing that his words had cut him deeply in ways he was only now able to understand.

Todoroki often let the mossy-haired boy know that he struggled with himself over his outburst. But Midoriya would always encourage him and remind him to rub his mark if he ever started to doubt their connection.

He fought hard too, equally as determined to become a Pro that was different than his father. One who would take care of people because they needed it and not for the fame and prestige. Mostly, he trained to use his fire side, proving to Midoriya that his scarred arm had gotten through to him.

* * *

When Shoto was eighteen, he'd been nervous about asking his lover if they could fill the still unstable position as head of the Endeavor Hero Agency. Many people were worried that he would end up exactly like his father, ruling over them with a Hellfire fist.

But Midoriya was understanding and excited to take the plunge, reminding Todoroki that he was loved unconditionally. So, he fought alongside the dopy teen, watching his back when he became reckless and scolding him afterward. He too rose in the Hero ranks.

Working alongside his comrades from high school did wonders for his social skills, and he finally lightened up, even working up the courage to ask Bakugo and Kirishima what their mark signified. Turns out, while his and Midoriya's showed their connection through heartbreak, the other soulmate hero duo shared insecurity.

Kirishima had cut his eye with his own quirk as a child, and soon became worried that it wouldn't be enough to make him a hero, while Bakugo had gotten a healthy dose of reality when 'quirkless Deku' had also gotten in to UA, making him wonder if he really was all that special.

* * *

When Izuku and Shoto were both twenty-five, everything was different. The past generations of Hero's had moved aside for them and their friends, and they lead the charge against the new wave of villains. All Might would drop by on them occasionally to see how they fared but knew there really wasn't any need; they were full-fledged hero's now.

Around this time, Izuku became the Number One Hero 'Deku', and was idolized even more than All Might had been as the Symbol of Peace, his signature wobbly grin plastered on shirts and other memorabilia.

Todoroki slipped into second place, taking Endeavor's old spot. Reporters would ask him how he felt about being less popular than Midoriya, noting that being upstaged by All Might had driven his father to do terrible things. He'd just give a soft smile and reply: 'How could I honestly compete with someone so perfect and adorable. Of course he's loved by everyone.'

Todoroki used his fire side almost as much as his ice and even made strides to forgive his father. He'd go see him in prison sometimes, either taking Izuku with him or holding his mark the whole time, and he'd say what he needed to. He'd been able to get his mother out of the mental institution as well, the woman now lived with Fuyumi, his elder sister.

Izuku loved going over to visit them, all four Todoroki children and Mrs. Todoroki together was a lot of fun in his opinion, and sometimes, even Inko would go too.

Midoriya had also been able to break free of his insecurities. He no longer doubted his power or who he was, and he never had to worry about whether or not his soulmate loved him because he was shown every night.

He and Bakugo had even become good friends again, though the blonde retained his signature explosive and abrasive attitude, it no longer had the ill will and bite that it had when they were younger. So, Izuku was able to forgive him for his abuse and move forward.

* * *

When Izuku and Shoto turned twenty-seven, the dual user began acting strangely. Midoriya would pester him about his behavior and rub his mark constantly throughout the day without receiving an answer.

Weeks passed, and one fateful night everything fell into place. Deku came home after a particularly long day of hero work to find their apartment a mess of ice, scorch marks, and puddles of water. In the center of the chaos was Todoroki, sitting on the ground with a defeated and embarrassment filled face.

"What the hell happened?" Izuku screeched, rushing over to him with worry. It had been years since the boy had lost control of his quirk, which is exactly what looked like had happened.

Todoroki's eye twitched in annoyance, glaring at the mess his failed cooking had left in the kitchen as well as the broken vase of flowers that were still laying frosted on the living room floor.

"I tried to cook you dinner but I was nervous and didn't pay attention so it caught on fire… I tried to put it out with my ice and then there was ice everywhere… so I used my heat quirk to melt it. Now the apartment is flooded…" he explained, patting the soaked carpet for emphasis.

Izuku was at a loss, torn between laughing at the calamity that was around them and pulling his lover into a hug to comfort him. "Why were you cooking for me? You prefer cleaning after I cook… Is this about what's been making you act so strangely? Will you tell me what's wrong now?"

Shoto took a deep breath, and reached into his pocket, retrieving a small box that he then opened for Midoriya. "I've been trying to come up with a good way to ask you to marry me…" he explained, showing him the simple silver band.

Izuku paused for a moment to look around once more before breaking into the most brilliant smile Todoroki had ever seen. He tackled the dual user soon after, kissing him and repeating 'yes' over and over with enthusiasm only he could be capable of.

Months later they had a small ceremony in the spring, surrounded by their friends and families. Todoroki asked his sister to be his best man and all was calm for him.

Midoriya on the other hand, had a riot starting with Ochaco, Iida, and Bakugo all claiming dibs. They all had their reasons: Katsuki was his first friend and had helped him get back together with Shoto, Tenya would ensure everything was taken care of in true class representative style along with citing their Stain incident, and Uraraka insisted that as his first UA friend and partner in all things non-Todoroki related, the job was hers.

They ended up sharing the title with pride and made planning and executing the event a breeze, even recruiting heroes from around the world to guard the ceremony and beef up patrols while the top two Pros were away on their honeymoon.

The entirety of Class 1-A swooped into action on their command, Momo making all the decorations and outfits, Sato baking their cake, Jiro handling music and photography… And Bakugo didn't blow up a single thing the entire day.

Of course, Kirishima and Uraraka grabbed the bouquet, each looking to their respective partners with clear intent. Katsuki and Tsu could only agree with secret excitement as they tried to plan their own perfect marriages.

* * *

When Izuku and Shoto turned 33, they decided to start a family. They adopted a little boy and girl and couldn't have been more pleased with their lives.

They maintained their friendships from high school and helped to groom the future generations of heroes. Their families supported them and their mentors were jumping at the opportunity to babysit *cough, cough, DadZawa and DadMight, cough, cough*.

Most importantly, however, the hero couple had never hidden their relationship or soulmate status again after coming so close to losing it. They wore it as armor, and everyone in the world envied their union and strength, both when engaged in battle, and as lovers.

The small black heart that had once been cracked slowly changed on their skin, healed smooth through their connection and mutual agreement to never let the other suffer again. So, they faced the future without fear, because when they were soulmates, nothing could ever hurt them.

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 **~The End~**

 **No, I'm not a mouse, and no, I'm not sorry for how cheesy that ending was. LOL. Deal with it bro!**

 **Let me know what you thought! And tell me if you'd like a sister story for Kirishima and Bakugo! If I end up creating the sister story I'll post a little update on this story with the name so you all won't miss it! :) Please Follow/Favorite/Review!**


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